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This broccoli rabe pizza gets its flavor from the saltiness of the sausage complemented by the bitterness of the broccoli rabe pesto. It is inspired by a favorite dish of mine - broccoli rabe and sausage pasta.
One can never have enough pizza - from spring pizza to four cheese white broccoli pizza to a Philly cheesesteak pizza.
I was recently looking for inspiration for a new pizza to make. If you follow this blog at all, you know my wife and I have pizza every Friday. We obviously have our favorites that we rotate but I wanted something new.
Then I remembered one of my favorite pasta combinations, broccoli rabe and sausage and boom! This broccoli rabe pizza was created.
If you've never had broccoli rabe, it has a slightly bitter flavor and looks like a combination of broccoli and and spinach. Like any green, it is also something that makes a great pesto which was the base sauce for this broccoli rabe and sausage pizza.
I don't usually put sausage on my pizza, but by adding some fennel seeds and rosemary, it just ups the flavor and makes this broccoli rabe and sausage pizza quite delicious. After one bite, Lauren and I looked at each other and immediately knew this was going into the rotation.
Jump to:
Recipe Ingredients
- Pizza dough - use store-bought or homemade.
- Broccoli rabe - used for the pesto and as a topping for the pizza.
- Garlic - garlic and pesto just go together.
- Pistachios - adds texture/flavor to the pizza and pesto.
- Salt - enhances the flavor of the broccoli rabe pesto.
- Olive oil - helps emulsify the homemade pesto.
- Parmesan - adds a nutty flavor to the pesto and sausage pizza.
- Mozzarella cheese - adds creaminess to the pizza.
- Italian sausage - can also use spicy sausage.
- Rosemary, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes - adds additional flavor to the sausage.
How to Make Homemade Pizza
- Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Add broccoli rabe, stir and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until broccoli rabe is bright green and stems are barely tender. Drain and run under cold water to stop cooking process. Let cool and then squeeze to remove any excess liquid.
- Add broccoli rabe, pistachos, garlic, and salt to blender or food processor and blend until thoroughly combined. With blender or food processor on, slowly add olive oil until well combined. Add the Parmesan and blend for 10 more seconds until just combined. Add to airtight container and store in fridge.
- Place pizza stone in oven 8″ from the broiler element and preheat to 500°F. You want stone to be in oven for at least 30 minutes at 500°F. Sprinkle pizza peel with cornmeal or flour. Use your hands to gently tug, pull and push the dough to the shape you want and place on pizza peel. Heat 2 tablespoon olive oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and break up with wooden spoon. Add rosemary, fennel seeds and crushed red pepper and cook until sausage is browned all the way through, about 6 minutes. Stir in ½ cup broccoli rabe florets until combined. Set aside.
- Add the pesto evenly over the dough, leaving the edges untouched.
- Add the mozzarella evenly around pizza, leaving edges untouched for crust. Top with sausage, broccoli rabe florets and Parmesan cheese.
- Once stone is preheated, turn broiler to high. Transfer the pizza to a pizza stone and bake for 4-5 minutes or until top is bubbly and bottom is golden brown. Remove from oven and scatter some roasted pistachios. Serve immediately.
What is Broccoli Rabe?
Broccoli rabe is a green vegetable related to the cabbage and turnip family. It sometimes goes by the name of rapini or Italian broccoli and comes in bunches with leaves and small broccoli-like buds.
It is known for a slightly bitter flavor which is where the sausage and cheese complements it. Like other bitter greens, it is also very nutritious and is high in Vitamin K and C, iron and dietary fiber.
For the pesto it is important to blanch for a couple of minutes before throwing in food processor.
Broccoli Rabe vs Broccolini
Broccoli rabe is not the same thing as broccolini which is smaller and resembles long slender broccoli stalks.
However if you can't find broccoli rabe for some reason for the pesto, use 1 cup of broccolini and 1 cup of a bitter leaf like collard greens, spinach or kale. You'd still want to blanch it before making the pesto for this broccoli rabe pizza.
What are Keys to No-Knead Pizza Dough?
Honestly not much. Make sure you use lukewarm water for the yeast and then after you mix, just give it time to rise overnight. Probably the most important thing would be in a warm area, preferably around 72°F. After the dough has risen overnight transfer to a floured surface and shape in a ball, then let rise for a couple more hours.
Obviously with a no-knead dough you have to plan on making this fig pizza the following day. So if you’re like us and have Pizza Friday’s, you just make the dough Thursday night. However if you want to buy dough, most grocery stores carry it these days, but Trader Joe’s has the best!
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Use Great Dough: While you can buy some dough from the store, I recommend making this no-knead pizza dough. You just make it the night before and light it rise for 24 hours before using.
- Spread Sauce Evenly: You will read a variety of opinions on sauce, but I’m a firm believer in lightly spreading the pizza sauce evenly. A sauce should compliment the pizza, but not be the star. Especially with something as strong as pesto.
- Use a Pizza Stone: Place the pizza stone in the oven 8″ from the broiler element. Turn the oven to 500°F. You want to place the stone in a cold oven, otherwise it could crack. The stone holds heat which allows you to get a golden brown crust on the bottom.
- Broil Pizza: Leave the pizza stone in the oven once it reaches 500°F for at least 30 minutes, but preferably an hour. When you are ready to make the pizza turn the broiler on. Transfer the broccoli rabe pizza to the stone and bake for 4-5 minutes or until the top is bubbly and the bottom is golden brown.
Other Pizza Recipes
- Fig Prosciutto Pizza
- Charred Brussels Sprouts Pizza
- Pumpkin Pizza
- Peach BBQ Chicken Pizza
- Roasted Butternut Squash Apple Pizza
If you’ve tried this broccoli rabe pizza or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Broccoli Rabe Pizza
Ingredients
Pizza Dough
- 250 grams all-purpose flour (about 2 cups)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon dry active yeast
- ¾ cup warm water
Broccoli Rabe Pesto
- 2 cups broccoli rabe
- ⅓ cup roasted pistachios
- 2 garlic cloves
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Pizza
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 links sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1 teaspoon freshly chopped rosemary
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ cup broccoli rabe florets, chopped
- 4-5 tablespoon broccoli rabe pesto
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, diced into 1 inch cubes
- ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- Sprinkle of cornmeal
- ¼ cup roasted pistachios
Instructions
Pizza Dough
- In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, salt and yeast. Add the water and mix with a wooden spoon or your hands. It should be sticky, but not lumpy.
- Cover with saran wrap and a towel in a warm place, allowing it to rise for 24 hours. Transfer to a floured surface and shape into ball. Use when ready.
Broccoli Rabe Pesto
- Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Add broccoli rabe, stir and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until broccoli rabe is bright green and stems are barely tender. Drain and run under cold water to stop cooking process. Let cool and then squeeze to remove any excess liquid.
- Add broccoli rabe, pistachos, garlic, and salt to blender or food processor and blend until thoroughly combined.
- With blender or food processor on, slowly add olive oil until well combined. Add the Parmesan and blend for 10 more seconds until just combined. Add to airtight container and store in fridge.
Pizza
- Place pizza stone in oven 8" from the broiler element and preheat to 500°F. You want stone to be in oven for at least 30 minutes at 500°F. Sprinkle pizza peel with cornmeal or flour. Use your hands to gently tug, pull and push the dough to the shape you want and place on pizza peel.
- Heat 2 tablespoon olive oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and break up with wooden spoon. Add rosemary, fennel seeds and crushed red pepper and cook until sausage is browned all the way through, about 6 minutes. Stir in ½ cup broccoli rabe florets until combined. Set aside.
- Add the pesto evenly over the dough, leaving the edges untouched. Add the mozzarella evenly around pizza, leaving edges untouched for crust. Top with sausage, broccoli rabe florets and Parmesan cheese.
- Once stone is preheated, turn broiler to high. Transfer pizza to pizza stone and bake for 4-5 minutes or until top is bubbly and bottom is golden brown. Remove from oven and scatter some roasted pistachios. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Use Great Dough: While you can buy some dough from the store, I recommend making this no-knead pizza dough. You just make it the night before and light it rise for 24 hours before using.
- Spread Sauce Evenly: You will read a variety of opinions on sauce, but I’m a firm believer in lightly spreading the pizza sauce evenly. A sauce should compliment the pizza, but not be the star. Especially with something as strong as pesto.
- Use a Pizza Stone: Place the pizza stone in the oven 8″ from the broiler element. Turn the oven to 500°F. You want to place the stone in a cold oven, otherwise it could crack. The stone holds heat which allows you to get a golden brown crust on the bottom.
- Broil Pizza: Leave the pizza stone in the oven once it reaches 500°F for at least 30 minutes, but preferably an hour. When you are ready to make the pizza turn the broiler on. Transfer the pizza to the stone and bake for 4-5 minutes or until the top is bubbly and the bottom is golden brown.
Chris says
Never had broccoli rabe pesto!
Michelle says
This is my favorite pizza!!
Ryan says
Definitely a favorite of ours.