1hr 13min prep: 0hr 0min cook: 1hr 13min
Smoked cheese, earthy kale and salty pancetta make for an incredibly delicious and unique pizza.Notes:
- Bacon would work in place of pancetta, and spinach is a good substitute for the kale.
Ingredients
Produce
- Garlic — 2 Cloves
- Kale — 8 Cups
Meat & Seafood
- Pancetta — 10 Slices
Cheese & Lunchmeat
- Smoked Mozzarella — 4 Cups
Frozen
- Pizza Dough, Frozen — 2 ( 9 Ounces each )
Spice & Baking
- Black Pepper
- Cornmeal — 2 Tablespoons
- Flour — 2 Tablespoons
- Kosher Salt
Condiments, Oils & Dressings
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil — 1 Tablespoon
Equipment
Appliances
- Oven
- Stove Top
Cooking Equipment
- Chef’s Knife
- Cutting Board
- Grater
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Mixing Bowl, Large
- Pizza Peel, Optional
- Pizza Stone, Optional
- Rolling Pin
- Saute Pan, Large (12″ Or Larger)
Prep Steps
- Separate the leaves of kale from the stems and tear into bite-sized pieces. Discard the stems. Soak the leaves in a large bowl of cold water.
- Smash garlic under the side of your chef’s knife to remove the peel. Mince garlic.
- Grate the smoked mozzarella to measure the indicated amount.
- Lift the leaves out of the water and dry thoroughly. If there was a lot of grit left in the bowl, repeat the soaking process until water is clean.
- Slice pancetta crosswise into thin strips.
Cook Steps
- Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add pancetta and cook until crispy, stirring often, about 5-8 minutes. Transfer to clean plate, leaving any grease behind in the pan.
- Place pancetta pan back over medium heat. If the pancetta did not leave enough grease in the pan to cover the bottom, add some olive oil and warm. If it seems like too much, carefully pour a little bit out.
- Once oil is warm, add kale. Season with salt and pepper, then saute until kale is wilted and very soft, about 8-10 minutes. Add garlic just for the last 2 minutes or so. Stir often. Transfer to a clean plate.
- Place a pizza stone or a large sheet pan (upside down) in the oven. Preheat to 500 degrees.
- Roll out pizza dough on a lightly floured surface until it has about a 9 inch diameter and is 1/2 inch thick. Once in desired shape, place on a pizza peel (or on a cool, upside-down sheet pan) dusted with cornmeal. Use enough cornmeal so that dough does not stick to the surface.
- Drizzle pizza with olive oil. Season with a little salt and pepper, then scatter mozzarella cheese evenly over the top, followed by one portion of the sauteed kale and crispy pancetta.
- Once oven is preheated, lower temperature to 450 degrees. Then, working carefully, transfer the pizza from the peel onto the hot stone or sheet pan. Bake for [10-13 minutes] until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted and bubbly.
- While one pizza bakes, roll out another. Remember to place on the peel or sheet pan before you add toppings.
- Once one pizza is out of the oven, transfer the next pizza to the hot stone or sheet pan again and cook [10-13 minutes]. Continue this until all pizzas are made.
- Cut pizzas into quarters or eighths. Transfer to plates and serve warm!