This is one of my tastiest and prettiest pies, made with ingredients seasonal to the East Coast, where I call home. Making it is a great lesson in cooking with what’s fresh, available, and healthy. The roasted carrots add a wonderfully warm flavor while the kale brings in a rather earthy taste, all of which is pulled together by the creamy ricotta. It is one of my favorites for the winter, and fall… and spring… and summer! Okay fine–it’s a year-round delight!
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Kale, Roasted Carrot, and Ricotta Pizza
Ingredients
1 recipe whole wheat pizza dough (here it is!)
1 bunch of Lacinato kale – stems removed and chopped
6 carrots, sliced thinly
6 parsnips, sliced thinly (optional)
1 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
juice from ½ lemon
fresh thyme, chopped
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
Colavita olive oil
Instructions
1. Place chopped and dried kale in a sealable plastic bag. Add 1 tablespoon Colavita olive oil, ¼ teaspoon sea salt and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Shake to distribute evenly. Set aside. You can prepare the kale up to 2 hours ahead of time.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Slice the carrots and parsnips (if using) and spread it out on the baking sheet. Drizzle them with Colavita olive oil and the juice from ½ a lemon. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon sea salt, some freshly ground black pepper (to taste), and the chopped, fresh thyme. Roast in the oven for about 10 minutes, then flip the slices and roast for 10 more minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
5. Increase the heat of the oven to 500 degrees. If using a pizza stone, allow the stone to heat up along with the oven for a half hour before baking on it.
6. Stretch out your dough on a cornmeal-dusted peel to about 10-12” in diameter. Place a layer of the marinated kale on top of the dough. On top of that, add on the roasted carrot and parsnip slices. Dollop some ricotta cheese amongst the vegetables in teaspoon-sized amounts. Drizzle with a little more Colavita olive oil and sprinkle with more fresh thyme.
7. Slide your pizza onto the stone in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes.
8. Remove from the oven and serve!
