Friday night is pizza night at our house, and although my husband often has the same pizza ever week, I love trying new toppings on my pizza. One of the pizzas we enjoy at Bar Tulia in Naples, Florida from time to time is a white pizza that combines sautéed kale, nduja, and chunks of san marzano tomatoes on top.

I love the flavors combined in this pizza as the earthy kale pairs well with spicy nduja and sweet san marzano tomatoes. For my version of this pizza, I simply brushed my pizza crust with olive oil then topped the pizza with a combination of mozzarella and Robiola cheese.

Robiola is a soft-ripened cheese of the Stracchino family with a subtle tangy flavor. It is made with varying proportions of cow’s, goat’s milk and sheep milk. In place of Robiola, you could also use Taleggio or even Brie.

Nduja is a spreadable spicy pork spread made in Calabria that has quickly become a favorite ingredient in our home. Although I can buy it fairly easily when we are in Umbria every year, here in the United States it is a little more difficult to find.

I did come across an online source called Nduja Artisans and we ordered some to try. We thoroughly enjoyed the nudja from this company, and found it to be very similar to the product we buy in Italy. There really isn’t a substitute for the nduja, but if are unable to find a source, you could replace it with spicy soppressata sausage.

We are lucky enough to have our own pizza oven, although you can certainly make great pizza at home using your kitchen oven as well and I will give the instructions in this recipe for oven baking. I always make my own pizza dough, usually the day before to enrich the flavor, but you could use store bought pizza dough if you are pressed for time.

I like to use a combination of pizza flour (tipo “00”) and either all-purpose or spelt flour to make my pizza dough. If you are interested in making your own pizza dough, you can try my recipe for New & Improved Pizza Dough , my Basic Pizza Dough , or my Tipo “00” Pizza Dough .

Buon Appetito!
Deborah Mele 

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Pizza With Kale, Nduja, Tomatoes, & Robiola Cheese

Yield: Makes 2 Pizzas

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

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Ingredients

• 1 Pound Pizza Dough At Room Temperature (See Notes Above)
• 1/4 Cup Olive Oil, Divided
• 2 Cups Full Fat Mozzarella Cheese, Shredded
• 1 1/2 Cups Diced Robiola Cheese (See Notes Above)
• 1 Bunch Tuscan Kale, Trimmed With Large Vein Removed, Cut In Half Lengthwise
• 2 Garlic Cloves, Thinly Sliced
• 1 (14 Ounce) Can Whole San Marzano Tomatoes, Drained
• 2 (1 inch) Slices Nduja Sausage
• Coarse Sea Salt

Instructions

1. Divide the dough into two 8 ounce portions, rolling each in a disc.
2. Remove the dough balls from the refrigerator 2 1/2 hours before needed, allowing them to completely come to room temperature before using.
3. Preheat your oven to the highest setting (usually 500 degrees F.).
4. In a large pan, heat 3 tablespoons of the oil and add the kale and garlic, and stir well to coat with the oil mixture.
5. Cook over medium low heat, stirring often, until the kale is tender, about 12 to 15 minutes.
6. For Each Pizza: On a lightly floured surface, use your hands to press your dough out to a 12 inch circle.
7. Lightly cover a baking sheet (or pizza peel if using a pizza stone) with flour, and place the dough on top.
8. Lightly brush the surface of the pizza with olive oil, then scatter the mozzarella and Robiola over each pizza, leaving a 1 inch border all around.
9. Divide the kale between the two pizzas, and then break up the nduja over each.
10. Break the tomatoes apart with your fingers, and place 2 to 3 whole tomatoes broken up into pieces on each pizza.
11. Sprinkle the pizza with sea salt.
12. Bake each pizza until bubbly and brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.

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