This mushroom kale pesto pizza can be made using all store-bought ingredients from Trader Joe’s!
You really can’t go wrong with pizza. No matter what time of day, regardless of the season, whether it’s a scorching 100 degrees or there’s a chilly blizzard, pizza is a good idea.
It’s the pizza I wish I knew how to make during my college years. It’s a pizza made entirely out of ingredients from Trader Joe’s!
Semi-Homemade Pizza
My love for Trader Joe’s knows no bounds. I’ve been shopping there for as long as I can remember. During elementary school, my mom had to lure me with promises of stickers or coloring pages.
Nowadays, I look forward to my weekly TJ’s trip anticipating what new products I’d find.
[Note: Everything photographed above, with the except of the pesto (I happen to have homemade pesto in the fridge), is from Trader Joe’s.
I talked all about how great it is to use cast iron skillets when cooking pizza when I made this ricotta and squash blossom pizza. You get the most amazing crispy crust. The dough cooks up like focaccia bread.
You could totally stop here and eat the pizza as is. It’s a deliciously savory vegetarian pizza. Or…
You could add some sliced prosciutto and make it absolutely fabulous.
Pop open a bottle of wine, call over some friends, and bake off a couple of these mushroom kale pesto pizzas…and you’ve got yourself the kind of party I’d happily attend.
Best part about cooking this pesto pizza in a cast iron is being able to lift the pizza and eat it without a plate. Less dishes to wash is always a plus.
Mushroom Kale Pesto Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 pound pizza dough, homemade or store-bought
- 2 1/2 Tablespoon olive oil
- 6 oz cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
- 1 Tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce
- 2 handfuls torn kale leaves, stems removed
- 2-3 Tablespoon pesto sauce, homemade or store-bought
- 1/4 cup shredded fontina cheese
- 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- sliced proscuitto, as needed
Instructions
- If using store bought pizza dough, allow to come to room temperature.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add sliced mushrooms. Stir to coat mushrooms in oil. Cook for 2-3 minutes until mushrooms start to release moisture. Add 1 tablespoon soy sauce and continue to cook until all liquid is absorbed and mushrooms are soft. Stir frequently. Season with back pepper, if desired. Transfer mushrooms to clean bowl and set aside until ready to use.
- Heat 1/2 tablespoon olive oil in skillet. Add torn kale leaves. Toss to coat kale in oil. Sauté kale for about 90 seconds, just until kale begins to wilt. Remove from heat and set aside until ready to use.
- Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.
- Spread remaining 1 tablespoon olive in a 12-inch cast iron skillet. Place room temperature pizza dough in oiled skillet. Using your hands, gently push and pull dough to fit skillet.
- Spread 2-3 tablespoons of pesto on pizza dough, leaving about 1/2-inch border around the perimeter of pizza. Sprinkle mozzarella and fontina over pesto. Arrange cooked mushrooms and kale over cheese.
- Transfer skillet to stove and set over medium-high heat. Warm up the skillet. Cook the pizza for about 3 minutes until the bottom of the crust has set and the oil is bubbling along the outer rim of the pizza.
- Transfer hot skillet into preheated oven. Bake for 7-10 minutes until the cheese has melted.
- Remove from the oven and let sit for 2-4 minutes before unmolding pizza. Add sliced prosciutto. Place pizza on cutting board and use a sharp knife or pizza wheel to cut into slices.
More Dinner Recipes with Pesto
- Pesto Pizza and Basil Salt
- Cherry Tomato Pesto Tart
- Fusilli with Arugula Pesto
- SoooCali Dog Haus Copycat
i love using tj’s pizza dough! normally i top it with mozzarella and cheddar, then chopped olives and basil before my dad grills it. but i’m going back to school soon without 1) a grill or 2) a dad to grill for me, so i’ll have to try the cast iron skillet trick! now, i’ll need to check if i can “borrow” the cast iron from home…
I’ve never tried combining mozzarella and cheddar. I’m going to have to give that a try. And YES, you should “borrow” the cast iron skillet from home :)
This looks wonderful! I’d love a slice (or two) of that right now for lunch. Love the addition of the prosciutto!
Thanks Kimberly!
Looks delicious — so many of my favorite flavors on here!
Thanks Maris! :)
I just seasoned my skillet today! Perfect timing!
That’s awesome! Happy pizza making :)
Trader Joe’s FTW! Love this combination of toppings!
This looks amazing – I love the addition of prosciutto!
Yeah, that looks pretty freaking perfect. Like, could be the cover shot for a pizza magazine. Teach me your ways…
Aw, thanks so much Sarah! :)
Honestly? I’m drooling!! I love the idea of putting pesto on pizza. This is brilliant!
I love pesto! It is tasty on pretty much everything! :)
There is a Trader Joe’s walking distance from my house and this looks too delicious not to try out! I also do not like red sauce so the pesto is perfect for me! Thank you for sharing this!
That’s so close! I hope you give it a try :)