Winter is almost over! I wanted to get you this recipe before we say adios to scarves and snow and hello to sunshine and heart-shaped sunglasses. I know the reality is that many of you will be experiencing icy snow situations well into May but at least there is hope!

Have you ever eaten beet greens, you know, the greens that are on top of the beet? Next time you go to snip them off and put them in the trash, think again. They’re really good. They taste a lot like actual beets. I love putting them on pizzas, along with beets. It gives pizzas a nice vegetable vibe that makes them almost healthy. Or at least that’s what I like to tell myself.

Winter Leaf Pizza

This vegetable pizza features beets, kale, and beet greens with ricotta. (Recipe Credit: Adrianna Adarme of the Fresh Tastes blog)

Ingredients

• 1 beet, beet greens reserved and roughly chopped
• 1 (12-inch) pizza dough (homemade or store-bought)
• 1 leaf of kale, stem removed and roughly chopped
• 2 ounces ricotta cheese
• 2 ounces shredded mozzarella
• Pinch of crushed red pepper
• Parmesan, for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Wrap the beet in foil and place in a small baking dish. Bake until tender, about 1 hour. Allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before removing it from the foil (it’ll be hot!) Slice the beet into 1/4-inch slices and set aside.
2. Increase heat to 500 degrees F. (Some ovens will only go up to 450F—that’s ok!) If you own a pizza stone or pizza steel, you can place that in the oven to preheat that. Alternatively, you can use a baking sheet. Spread a handful of cornmeal on the surface of the baking sheet or pizza peel. Spread out the pizza dough until it reaches a roundish shape; perfection is not required. Spread the ricotta onto the pizza dough, leaving about a 1/2-inch rim. Add the sliced beet, chopped beet green, kale, and mozzarella. Transfer to the oven to bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is melty and the edges of the pizza crust are lightly browned. Remove and slice up.

Adrianna Adarme is a food blogger and author living in Los Angeles, California. She writes the blog A Cozy Kitchen, where she shares comforting, everyday recipes from her kitchen. She recently authored her first cookbook, PANCAKES: 72 Sweet and Savory Recipes for the Perfect Stack. She’s a lover of breakfast, pie (and sometimes even pie for breakfast), corgis and cute things. You can find her on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.