Dandelion Pesto Pizza – Part 3 in Dandelion Greens Week!

This is part 3 in what has turned into “Dandelion Greens Week.”   Sorry  for not proclaiming the week as such in advance, I guess I’m not such a great planner…. Oh, and I’m sharing the recipe at Food Renegade’s Fight Back Friday.

This pizza is pretty simple; it is a pizza with Dandelion Pesto as the base, topped with mozzarella, ricotta, cranberries, pecans, and… more dandelion greens!  We didn’t candy the pecans this time but I think it would be even better if they were candied, as the slight bitterness of the dandelion greens will be better balanced with extra sweetness.  The cranberries do provide some sweetness and if you prefer the bitter edge then leave the pecans un-sweetened.

Dandelion Pesto Pizza

Pesto inspired by David Lebovitz

Ingredients:

• Large bowl of dandelion greens (pick in morning, lightly wash, store in fridge)
• ¼ cup parmesan, grated
• ¼ cup pecans/walnuts/heartnuts*
• 2 Tbs. oil
• salt

• 1-2 cups mozzarella, grated
• ½ cup ricotta
• ½ cup dried cranberries
• ½ cup pecans  (optional – candied, lightly fried with butter and honey/maple syrup)
• 1 Tbs. oil
• 1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper

• Pizza dough

Preheat the oven as hot as you are comfortable—500 is what we do.  Heat a pot of salted water and bring to a boil.  When water is boiling add most of the dandelion greens, saving 15-20 leaves for later.  Boil for 30 seconds (or less), just long enough to wilt the greens (This also helps preserve their “greenness”).  Transfer them using tongs or a slotted spoon to a food processor.  Add the parmesan, pecans, oil, and salt.  Puree until smooth.

Spread the pesto on a prepared pizza dough (it will turn out more bubbly if you stretch rather than roll the dough).  Top with mozzarella and spoonfuls of ricotta, then with the cranberries and pecans.  Bake the pizza for 3-6 minutes.

Meanwhile toss the remaining dandelion greens with the oil and vinegar, and a small amount of salt and pepper.  When the cheese on the pizza has melted and is beginning to bubble add the tossed greens and bake several more minutes until the crust is beginning to turn golden.  Remove pizza, allow to briefly cool, slice and serve.  Pair with a sweet white wine?

*I never seem to have pinenuts around.  I just can’t buy such an expensive nut.  But I don’t really mind if you do  And if you’re wondering about the cracking of the pecans, before leaving Georgia we were given a huge bag of pecans from a friend who got them from a relative with a pecan tree….  It is a bit of extra work but worth it for the wonderful treasures inside!