Italian Sausage & Kale Pizza Recipe

Prep and preheat

Place a pizza stone or an inverted baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 500°F (260°C) for at least 30 minutes. If using a refrigerated dough, let it sit at room temperature for 20–30 minutes so it relaxes.

Lightly dust a work surface with the all-purpose flour. Stretch or roll the pizza dough into a 12-inch round (or desired shape) about 1/4-inch thick. Transfer to a pizza peel or an inverted baking sheet lined with parchment for easy transfer. Brush the outer rim lightly with 1 tbs olive oil to promote browning.

Cook sausage

Heat 1 tbs olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the spicy Italian sausage crumbles and cook, breaking them up with a spoon, until no longer pink and lightly browned, about 6–8 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer cooked sausage to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess fat.

Sauté kale

Using the same skillet (discard excess fat leaving about 1 tsp), reduce heat to medium. Add minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the thinly sliced kale, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, and 1 tsp red pepper flakes. Sauté until kale is wilted but still bright green, about 2–3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.

Using a spoon, spread 1 cup marinara sauce evenly over the stretched dough, leaving a 1/2-inch to 1-inch rim for the crust.

Sprinkle 1 3/4 cups of the shredded mozzarella evenly over the sauce, reserving about 1/4 cup for finishing spots if you like extra cheese pockets.

Scatter the cooked sausage evenly over the cheese, followed by the sautéed kale so it's distributed without large clumps. Sprinkle the grated parmesan over the top and add the reserved mozzarella pieces if using.

Carefully slide the pizza (on parchment if used) onto the preheated pizza stone or baking sheet. Bake at 500°F (260°C) until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbly and slightly browned, about 8–12 minutes depending on oven and thickness.

Remove the pizza from the oven. Let rest 2 minutes, then top with torn fresh basil leaves and drizzle 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil over the pizza. Slice and serve hot.