(Recipe can be found on the Two Peas and Their Pod site here.)
Step by Step Instructions:
These lovely Kale, Mushroom & Ricotta Calzones call for the following: Olive Oil, Salt & Pepper, your favorite Marinara sauce, Dried Basil, shredded Parmesan Cheese, Shredded Mozzarella, Mushrooms (I opted for a container of baby Portabellas), Ricotta (you need about 1 cup), 2 cloves of minced garlic, Crushed Red Pepper Flakes, Kale, Yellow Onion (if you have a large onion then you’ll only need about half of it), and some pizza dough (hallelujah for store-bought refrigerated pizza dough!).
I started by preheating the oven to 400 degrees. Then prepped my Kale. I rinsed about 3-4 leaves and patted them dry. Then I pulled off of the leaves.
Then I chopped up about 2 cups (okay, a little more) of the kale.
I ended up getting a smaller yellow onion so I chopped up the whole thing. Otherwise, just chop up half of the onion.
Now onto the mushrooms. I used a damp paper towel to wipe the mushrooms clean. Then chop them up. You’ll want about a cup of mushrooms.
Finally the prep work is done, and it’s time to cook. In a pan heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.
Then add the onions to the pan and heat for 3-4 minutes stirring regularly until the onions are translucent.
Once the onions are cooked add 2 cloves of minced garlic and saute for 30-60 seconds. Again I love the time-saving pre-minced garlic.
Then add the kale and mushrooms to the pan and give it a good stir.
Put the lid on the pan and let it steam and cook for about 4 minutes.
Then give it a stir and make sure everything is tender. If it is, remove the pan from the heat.
In a large bowl combine the cheeses including 1 cup of ricotta cheese, 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese, and 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese.
Then add the cooked veggies to the cheese and give it a good stir until it’s well combined.
Finally add salt and pepper to taste, a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, and 1/4 teaspoon of dried basil to the filling and combine it. Yum!
Then flour your work surface and divide the pizza dough into 4 dough balls.
Work with one dough ball at a time, and roll out the dough to be about 7 inches in diameter. Mine were a little more rustic looking, but I think that makes it pretty cool. Then brush the edges with water. Finally you’ll want to add about 1/2 cup of the filling to one half of the dough leaving about one inch of an edge. Fold the other side over and press the edges together to seal them.
I placed the calzones on a lined cookie sheet and poked the top of the calzones with a fork. Then I brushed olive oil over the top of each calzone. Bake them for about 18-20 minutes. You’re looking for the crust to be a golden brown.
While the calzones were baking I heated a little marinara so it was warm when I was ready for it.
Here are the calzones out of the oven. Let them cool for about 5 minutes and then you have permission to dig in and enjoy! But careful they will be hot! Happy baking my friends!
Makes 4 Calzones
Ingredients:
1 pound fresh pizza dough (homemade or store-bought)
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus additional for brushing
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chopped kale, ribs and stems removed
1 cup mushrooms
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
All-purpose Gold Medal Flour, for dusting the counter
Easy Marinara Sauce, for serving
Preparation Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Make sure your pizza dough is at room temperature. Set aside.
2. To make the calzone filling, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the kale and mushrooms, cover and cook until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheeses. Stir in the kale and mushroom mixture. Add the dried basil, crushed red pepper, and season with salt and pepper.
4. Divide the pizza dough into 4 equal portions, and shape each portion into a ball. Lightly flour your work space. Start with 1 ball and roll it out into a circle, about 7 inches in diameter. Brush the edges of the round lightly with water. Place about a 1/2 cup of the kale cheese mixture on half of the round, leaving a 1-inch border. Gently fold the dough over so the edges meet and pinch the dough together with your fingers. Pierce the top of the calzone with the fork and carefully transfer to a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Brush each calzone with olive oil.
5. Place the calzones in the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Let the calzones cool for about 5 minutes. Serve warm.
Two Peas’ Note-I like to use Trader Joe’s Kale that is already chopped. Great time saver! And if you don’t want to make pizza dough from scratch, we love Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods refrigerated pizza dough.
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