Sweet Potato and Kale Pizza
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Remember my sweet potato and kale craving and my accidental overabundance of kale? Well, when I saw this pizza on Two Peas and Their Pod, I knew I had to have it. I counted the days and minutes until I could have it and we finally got to make it last weekend. And again this past weekend because, yes, it is that good.
It’s funny that I have so few pizza posts on Pixelated Crumb, because we generally have pizza once a week. Growing up, Friday was always pizza night and it’s a tradition that I have taken seriously into adulthood, only now instead of ordering takeout or delivery, I make my own pizza. Luckily Joseph has been willing to make take this tradition seriously, because it just doesn’t feel like the beginning of the weekend if I haven’t had my pizza. And because pizza night is all about celebrating the start of the weekend, I’m generally too busy relaxing to take out the camera and take pictures.
If we have dinner plans on Friday, we make the pizza on Saturday. If we also have dinner plans Saturday, we make pizza on Sunday night and I’m thrown off all week. I have to constantly remind myself that the next day is Monday and I have to get up and go to work. Funny how food and habit can take such hold over you.
Whether or not you have any pizza traditions, I strongly urge you to try this one for yourself. The sliced sweet potatoes and the red onion are roasted in the oven before you put it on the pizza, rendering perfectly caramelized onions and soft, earthy sweet potatoes. The aromatic rosemary, the crisp kale splashed in balsamic vinegar, and two cheeses complete this fall beauty, which is bursting with flavor.
Sweet Potato and Kale Pizza
Adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod
You'll notice that this recipe has you putting the toppings on the bottom and the cheese on top. While I introduced Joseph to Friday night pizza, he introduced me to this technique so that the cheese melts down over the toppings, melding everything together into cheesy goodness.
Desperate to add some meat to your pizza? Try adding some ham or bacon. We added about 4 ounces to our second pizza and it was delicious.
Ingredients
- Your favorite 14-inch pizza dough
- 1 large sweet potato, thinly sliced, about 1/4 inch thick
- 1/2 red onion, sliced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste, for seasoning potato slices and onion
- 1 1/2 cups chopped kale
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon garlic olive oil (or regular olive oil)
- Salt and pepper to taste, for seasoning the pizza dough
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon chili pepper flakes (more if you want more spice)
- 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated
- 1/4 cup pecorino romano, grated
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the sweet potato slices and red onion slices in a bowl and toss with 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Place on a large baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are soft and tender. Make sure you turn them once during the 20 minutes so they cook evenly. Remove from oven and let cool while you prepare the pizza dough.
- Turn the oven to 475 degrees F. If you have a pizza stone, place the pizza stone in the oven to get hot for at least 30 minutes. In a small bowl, toss the kale with balsamic vinegar.
- Roll/spin/stretch the pizza dough to about 14-inch diameter and place the dough on a pizza peel or pan that has been generously coated with corn meal. Lightly brush the dough with 1 tablespoon of garlic olive oil. Sprinkle the dough with salt and freshly ground black pepper, fresh rosemary, and pepper flakes.
- Top the pizza dough with sweet potato slices, kale, red onion slices, mozzarella cheese, and finally the pecorino romano.
- Place the pizza in the oven-directly on the pizza stone, if using one, or on whatever pan you are using. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until pizza crust is golden and cheese is melted. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes before slicing. Slice and serve warm, topping with additional freshly ground pepper and pepper flakes if desired.