Kale and Sausage Pizza

I was never a big fan with eating kale until a couple of years ago. I know, I know, but it was not one of those common household ingredients when growing up, nor was it something I was anxious to buy at the store. That all changed though when I started making kale chips. I fell in love with kale from that moment on, and to this day I probably go through a head of kale a week.  Recently I was on a pizza making kick, and I’m not that guy who simply rocks out a cheese and pepperoni pizza and call it a day. Granted I do make the cheese and pepperoni for the kids, but if I have any leftover pizza dough, then I typically scan the refrigerator and come up with a new pizza. This kale and sausage pizza is one of those, and let me tell you, it was awesome!

I came up with this recipe because my sister-in-law send me a message that they had finally arrived in Philadelphia and their first stop was Tony Luke’s to grab a bite to eat. That triggered that whole idea of their pork and broccoli rabe sandwich. I’ve made something similar to that when I made my porchetta, and I loved how that pork played off of that bitterness, so this set me off to make the pizza.

Ingredients:

• Your favorite pizza dough, to be hand tossed to about 16 inches
• 2 cups of packed, fresh kale leaves, washed
• 1 whole spicy Italian sausage, casing removed
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 cup shaved parmesan cheese
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• pinch of salt
• water
• bowl of ice water

Start by adding the kale to a small pot of boiling water. Cook the kale for approximately five minutes, just to get it a bit tender.  Remove with a slotted spoon and place the kale into the ice water to shock it. Drain the kale. Once drained, I placed into a salad spinner to remove a lot more water, trust me it holds a lot, then I balled it up, and gave another good squeeze, removing a lot more water. Slice into strips, then chop.

Preheat your oven to 475 degrees. Place a large circular baking sheet, or pizza pan into the oven to preheat while you make your pizza.

Lightly flour your dough ball, then begin pressing it with your fingers. Flip to repeat. Use a rolling pin if you desire to get the dough working, then begin to toss it. Here is a video as to how to toss a pizza. It’s fun, and the kids love seeing it be thrown into the air.

Once your dough is ready, and you have your desired thickness, remove the pizza pan out of the oven with your kitchen mitts. The pan will be really hot, so be ready to place it onto a wood cutting board, or a potholder.

Drizzle the olive oil onto the large, circular baking sheet, or pizza pan and tilt the pan to make sure you get full coverage of the oil onto the pan before carefully placing your dough onto it. Once your dough is on the sheet, it is now time to build the pizza.

Sprinkle the minced garlic over the pizza dough, sprinkle with a bit of salt, then add the mozzarella cheese. Top the mozzarella with the chopped kale, then start dotting on your uncooked Italian sausage, covering the pizza. Shower on the parmesan cheese, and place back into the oven, cooking for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the sausage is cooked and the cheese is nice and golden.

Remove and serve.

My first bite was nothing short of amazing. The kale got a bit crispy in certain places, which I loved and reminded me of those light kale chips, and then that spicy Italian sausage, along with the cheese, well, I’m done. This was super great pizza and I will definitely be making it more often. Just saying that pizza joints need to start offering kale as an option for a topping.

Kale and Sausage Pizza

Dax Phillips

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Cuisine Pizza

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

• Your favorite pizza dough to be hand tossed to about 16 inches
• 2 cups of packed fresh kale leaves, washed
• 1 whole spicy Italian sausage casing removed
• 1 clove of garlic minced
• 1 cup shaved parmesan cheese
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• pinch of salt
• water
• bowl of ice water

Instructions

 

• Start by adding the kale to a small pot of boiling water. Cook the kale for approximately five minutes, just to get it a bit tender. Remove with a slotted spoon and place the kale into the ice water to shock it. Drain the kale. Once drained, I placed into a salad spinner to remove a lot more water, trust me it holds a lot, then I balled it up, and gave another good squeeze, removing a lot more water. Slice into strips, then chop.
• Preheat your oven to 475 degrees. Place a large circular baking sheet, or pizza pan into the oven to preheat while you make your pizza.
• Lightly flour your dough ball, then begin pressing it with your fingers. Flip to repeat. Use a rolling pin if you desire to get the dough working, then begin to toss it. Here is a video as to how to toss a pizza. It's fun, and the kids love seeing it be thrown into the air.
• Once your dough is ready, and you have your desired thickness, remove the pizza pan out of the oven with your kitchen mitts. The pan will be really hot, so be ready to place it onto a wood cutting board, or a potholder.
• How to make sausage and kale pizza
• Drizzle the olive oil onto the large, circular baking sheet, or pizza pan and tilt the pan to make sure you get full coverage of the oil onto the pan before carefully placing your dough onto it. Once your dough is on the sheet, it is now time to build the pizza.
• Sprinkle the minced garlic over the pizza dough, sprinkle with a bit of salt, then add the mozzarella cheese. Top the mozzarella with the chopped kale, then start dotting on your uncooked Italian sausage, covering the pizza. Shower on the parmesan cheese, and place back into the oven, cooking for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the sausage is cooked and the cheese is nice and golden.
• Remove and serve.
• Kale and Sausage Pizza
• My first bite was nothing short of amazing. The kale got a bit crispy in certain places, which I loved and reminded me of those light kale chips, and then that spicy Italian sausage, along with the cheese, well, I'm done. This was super great pizza and I will definitely be making it more often. Just saying that pizza joints need to start offering kale as an option for a topping.