Easy Pesto Kale Pizza
This easy pizza is topped with homemade kale pesto, gooey mozzarella and fresh kale for extra nutrition!
Servings 8 servings
Ingredients
CRUST:
- 2 3/4 cups organic all-purpose flour (See Notes for GF option!)
- 1 cup WARM fresh water (Ensure that it's warm and not hot!)
- 1 Tbsp organic brown sugar
- 1 packet rapid-rise yeast (That's 2 1/4 tsps!)
- 1 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp garlic powder
SIMPLE PESTO SAUCE:
- 1 cup kale, de-stemmed + chopped
- 1 cup basil leaves
- 1 cup walnuts
- 1/4 cup Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup filtered water
TOPPINGS:
- 8 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
- 1 cup cubed mozzarella cheese (I like to use the block cheese)
- 1-2 cups kale, de-stemmed + chopped
Instructions
MAKE THE PIZZA CRUST:
- In the bowl of an electric mixer (with a dough hook attachment), mix together the warm water, brown sugar, olive oil, and yeast (you might need to use a whisk to ensure that everything combines together well). Let is sit for at least 5 minutes, until yeast begins to activate and foam.
- Slowly add the flour, dried oregano, and garlic powder (on low speed!), until fully incorporated and a soft dough is formed. NOTE: if dough is too sticky, add 1/2 cup of additional flour at a time).
- Now, increase the speed to medium-high and knead the dough for about 5 minutes in the mixer.
- Once done, add the dough onto a floured surface and slightly roll out the dough until it’s flat enough to form a flat circle the rest of the way with your hands, about 11 inches in diameter. Lightly grease your pizza pan with extra virgin olive oil and place dough on one end of pan, evenly pressing it and flattening it out to fit the entire pan. Gently use your finger to stretch dough until pan is fully covered and gently pinch the edges of the dough together to form the crust.
TO MAKE THE PESTO SAUCE:
- Add all ingredients into a food processor or blender and process (or blend) until combined and broken down. NOTE: If needed, add a bit of water (1 Tbsp), if too thick. The pesto should be creamy.
ASSEMBLY:
- Preheat the oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit and place top rack into the middle of oven. NOTE: be sure to use a great pizza pan to ensure that your crust is crispy and not soggy.
- Add a few spoonfuls of the pesto sauce unto the top of center of crust until evenly spread out.
- Generously sprinkle chopped kale atop pesto sauce followed by pieces of fresh mozzarella, leaving a bit of crust bare for the edges. Add cubed mozzarella cheese, tucking them in between the fresh mozzarella pieces.
- Lightly brush the tops of the edge of the crust with 1 Tbsp of olive oil to ensure that it becomes a nice golden brown.
- Transfer the pizza pie to the hot oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or so, until the mozzarella has melted (and becomes bubbly) and the crust is crispy and golden brown.
- Once done, allow pizza to rest/cool for a few minutes (about 2-3 minutes) so that the mozzarella sets before cutting into generous slices, using a pizza cutter.
- Serve and enjoy!
- Bon Appetit!
Notes
- PIZZA CRUST: For a crispy pizza (especially on the bottom), I suggest using a pizza pan with holes to allow the crust to bake through nicely. I used the AirBake Pizza Pan, which can be found at Target!
- STORAGE: Leftover pizza is best kept tightly wrapped in foil paper, refrigerated for 3-4 days for optimal freshness.
- GLUTEN-FREE CRUST: To make your pizza crust GF, see my Easy GF Pizza Crust recipe.
- GREENS: If preferred, you can always add greens other than Kale, like Spinach, Broccoli, or Collard Greens to the pizza.