Winter is not the death of vegetation you assume it to be, so try our Roasted Kale, Carrot, and Parsnip Pizza with Ricotta Cheese and Chicken Sausage. If you’re trying to eat seasonal, there are reasons to welcome winter in with open arms...and ready pizza crusts. Reach for these root vegetables, and leafy greens like hearty kale. Roast them in the oven and pair with fresh herbs and ricotta cheese for a fresh and healthy winter pizza.
Slice the al fresco sausage into ½” 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.
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.
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 them 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.
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.
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, parsnip slices and grilled al fresco sausage. Dollop some ricotta cheese amongst the vegetables in teaspoon-sized amounts. Drizzle with a little more Colavita Extra Virgin olive oil and sprinkle with more fresh thyme.
Slide your pizza onto the stone in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and serve!
Servings 4