Squash & Kale Pizza

My picky three-year-old told me last week, “This is the best pizza I ever tasted.” Seriously! So, I’ve made it twice in one week. About 15 minutes total prep time.

I used local summer squash and fresh kale from our CSA but you can easily find all of these items in the grocery store.

Ingredients
1 yellow squash, unpeeled & sliced thin into “pepperoni”-like pieces
3 large kale leaves, rinsed well and shredded into small pieces (discard the stalk portion)
1 ready-made pizza crust (I like Bertolli original crust)
1/2 can pizza sauce
1 bag of mozzarella cheese
1 garlic clove, minced (I use a garlic press)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Dried oregano

Preparation
Preheat oven according to instructions on crust package. Remove crust from package, place on pizza stone or baking sheet. Spread sauce on crust evenly to edges. Cover with cheese and sprinkle oregano on top of cheese. Kids can help with these first three steps.

Wash and slice up the squash, discarding ends, and place in a pan with about 1 to 2 Tbsp. oil. Add garlic and sauté until soft. Arrange on pizza and place pizza in oven for 8 to 10 minutes.

Using the same pan (don’t wash it yet!) add the shredded kale and olive oil to taste. Note: Squash and kale really absorb oil, so be generous enough to prevent sticking/burning but not soaking the vegetables in the oil. Kale will begin to turn from dusty green to vivid green in color. Saute for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring often, and turn burner off till pizza is done. Arrange kale on top of the pizza and use a cutter to divide into slices.

Note: For a crispier crust, you can place it right on the oven rack.

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