Kale Pizza with Spaghetti Squash Crust [Recipe]

As an American, I never get sick of pizza. I worked at a trattoria for six years and never tired of it. But now that I’m older and wiser and have been exposed to “skinnier” alternatives, I’m loving the trendy recipes of pizza crust made from vegetables. Cauliflower pizza crust is pretty darn good, and while there’s no substitute for the real thing when you have a craving, I thought spaghetti squash pizza crust was worth a try for weeknight.

Spaghetti squash pizza crust is pretty easy to make. The most time-consuming part is baking the squash (cut in half, seeds removed, rubbed with olive oil, facedown on a cookie sheet). Once it’s done, just scrape out the inside “spaghetti” and squeeze out the moisture as best you can.

Then pack it onto a baking sheet (use parchment paper if you have it) and bake until it starts to crisp. The less moisture in the spaghetti squash, the crispier your crust will be. 

You can use anything for toppings, but thanks to my CSA I went all “healthy” and added kale, garlic, and red onion. I used ricotta and mozzarella cheese for a “white” pizza, which I think helped offset the pizza crust as an impostor. (I’m not a fan of straight “substitutes” – I’d rather just try to make a new, unique dish than swap out one main, important ingredient.) 

Back in the oven, this pizza came out looking like a pizza and tasting just as delicious. 

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Kale Pizza with Spaghetti Squash Crust

Ingredients

• 1 medium spaghetti squash
• 1 bunch kale stems removed and chopped (about 2 cups)
• 1 small red onion chopped
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 4-6 oz. shredded mozzarella
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Cook the spaghetti squash: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Rub inside of squash with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place face down on a baking pan lined with foil. Bake for 30 minutes.
2. Once spaghetti squash is cooked, scrape out inside "spaghetti" onto a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Pat squash with a paper towel, absorbing any excess moisture, and flattening into a pizza crust.
3. Bake crust at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the topping. Cook onion and garlic on low heat in 1 tbsp of oil until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Turn up the heat to medium and add kale, salt, and pepper. Cook until kale begins to wilt, about 5 minutes more. (Cover pan to cook faster.)
5. Once spaghetti squash crust is cooked, top with the ricotta, spreading evenly. Add kale mixture on top. Finish with a thing layer of shredded mozzarella cheese.
6. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes more.