My recipes usually start out as haphazard semi-ordered lists, saved right here in “draft” – or unpublished – form on the blog. I love having all of my notes saved easily in one place, but on the flip side, I’m terrified that one day I’ll wake up to find I accidentally published something that reads like this:
Layer on crust —
creamy kale pesto sauce
could add cooked chicken here
mozzarella cheese
onions
3-4 cups baby kale tossed with 2 teaspoons olive oil – pile it on!
Pinch salt
Bake
Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds
NIRVANA
I guess my notes for this Kale & Pomegranate Pizza with Creamy Pesto Sauce do pretty much sum up what I’m about to say. Yes – it’s really, really good, yes, even “NIRVANA.” It’s got a rich and garlicky pesto sauce in lieu of the traditional tomato, then it’s layered with melty mozzarella, a few bits of onion here and there, and a giant pile of kale that cooks down into kale-chip-like goodness. Sprinkle on a good bit of pomegranate arils for a sweet/salty contrast (which also happens to look fabulous) and HELLO GORGEOUS PIZZA!
All caps. All about the caps.
Up on my fridge, I have a list of recipes that I’m currently working on, and for about two months now, “Christmas Pizza” has been on the list. As you’ve guessed, this is it – the Christmas pizza! Not that it should only be made this time of year. It’s just that the vibrant red and green couldn’t be more spot-on.
So here’s what we’ve got. A double dose of kale – both in the pesto sauce …
And then a big ol’ pile right on top of the pizza.
This is before spreading it out – but I just had to take a pic of Mount Kale first.
Kale has become one of my favorite pizza toppings. You take a big old bunch of the stuff, tear (or cut) into bite-size pieces, and toss it with olive oil. Then – yep – pile it on, and sprinkle with a little coarse salt. It bakes down to manageable perfection with crispy bits here and there. Highly recommended.
For the version photographed, I used an entire batch of this dough, and it made for one big, extremely thick pizza. Possibly a little too thick, unless you love thick. Otherwise, go with your favorite homemade or store-bought pizza dough. As much as I enjoy making pizza dough, nine times out of 10 these days my dough is straight from the Trader Joe’s refrigerated section. It’s great, inexpensive, and so so easy.
NIRVANA!
More kale pizza goodness
A few more can’t-miss pies from around the web.
Crispy Kale Pizza from A Beautiful Mess | Gorgonzola, Kale, & Pear Pizza with Optional Bacon from yours truly | Sweet Potato Kale Pizza with Rosemary & Red Onion from Two Peas and Their Pod | Beet Pesto Pizza with Kale & Goat Cheese from The Roasted Root | Portabella & Kale Pizza with Roasted Garlic Sauce from Oh My Veggies | Kale, Butternut Squash, Potato, & Ricotta Pizza with Fried Onions from Savoring the Thyme