Broccoli Rabe, Sun-dried Tomato, and White Bean Pizza on Polenta Crust with Al fresco Chicken Sausage - yum! Who says pizza has to include bread? Remember what we said about flexibility being a key characteristic of pizza? Well, that goes for changing things up. For this recipe, we created a polenta crust with fresh herbs, topped with bitter broccoli rabe, sweet sun-dried tomatoes and meaty white beans. Garnished with a few shavings of salty Pecorino cheese and crunchy pine nuts, this pizza leaves nothing wanted...not even the bread. Best of all, it’s gluten free!
Slice the al fresco sausage into ½ inch rounds. Heat up your grill, or a grill pan (you can use a regular frying pan as well). Oil the pan with 1 tablespoon of Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Cook the sausage for about 2 minutes on each side, until nicely browned. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Rinse the broccoli rabe thoroughly with water. Fill a large pot with about 2 quarts of water and bring it to a boil. Submerge the broccoli rabe in the boiling water and cook for about 10 minutes. Drain the broccoli rabe in a colander for 5 minutes to remove all the water (excess water will splatter when you add it to the hot oil.)
Heat 2 tablespoons of Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Peel 2 cloves of garlic and crush them with the side of a knife. Add the crushed garlic and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes to the skillet and olive oil. Stir with a wooden spoon and allow the garlic and pepper to become aromatic. Add the broccoli rabe to the skillet and saute for about 10 minutes. The greens should start to wilt. Mix in the white beans, and stir to combine. Remove from the heat and set aside for your pizza topping.
Rehydrate the sun dried tomatoes by placing them in a small bowl of hot water. Allow them to soak for about 10 minutes, then drain.
Remove the pre-cooked polenta crust from the oven, and increase the oven heat to broil.
Top with the sauteed broccoli rabe and white bean mixture, along with the sun dried tomatoes, al fresco sausage and sprinkle with pine nuts. Drizzle with Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Slide your pizza into the oven and bake for about 5 minutes. Keep a close eye on your pizza, as the broiler tends to be very hot and cook quickly. Remove from the oven and garnish with fresh parsley and shavings of Parmesan cheese. Serve!
Slice the al fresco sausage into ½ inch rounds. Heat up your grill, or a grill pan (you can use a regular frying pan as well). Oil the pan with 1 tablespoon of Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Cook the sausage for about 2 minutes on each side, until nicely browned. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Rinse the broccoli rabe thoroughly with water. Fill a large pot with about 2 quarts of water and bring it to a boil. Submerge the broccoli rabe in the boiling water and cook for about 10 minutes. Drain the broccoli rabe in a colander for 5 minutes to remove all the water (excess water will splatter when you add it to the hot oil.)
Heat 2 tablespoons of Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Peel 2 cloves of garlic and crush them with the side of a knife. Add the crushed garlic and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes to the skillet and olive oil. Stir with a wooden spoon and allow the garlic and pepper to become aromatic. Add the broccoli rabe to the skillet and saute for about 10 minutes. The greens should start to wilt. Mix in the white beans, and stir to combine. Remove from the heat and set aside for your pizza topping.
Rehydrate the sun dried tomatoes by placing them in a small bowl of hot water. Allow them to soak for about 10 minutes, then drain.
Remove the pre-cooked polenta crust from the oven, and increase the oven heat to broil.
Top with the sauteed broccoli rabe and white bean mixture, along with the sun dried tomatoes, al fresco sausage and sprinkle with pine nuts. Drizzle with Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Slide your pizza into the oven and bake for about 5 minutes. Keep a close eye on your pizza, as the broiler tends to be very hot and cook quickly. Remove from the oven and garnish with fresh parsley and shavings of Parmesan cheese. Serve!