Broccoli Rabe

Broccoli Rabe, Potato and Rosemary Pizza

by:
January 12, 2010
5
10 Ratings
Photo by James Ransom
  • Serves 2 10" Pizzas or 4 mini-pizzas
Author Notes

This is a variation of a white (no sauce) pizza where the classic triumvarite of potatoes, garlic and rosemary is embellished with earthy and assertive broccoli rabe. The pizza dough is a recipe I have used and tweaked from Alice Waters over the years. Feel free to use your own favorite recipe. - TasteFood —TasteFood

Test Kitchen Notes

This is simply one of the best white pizzas we've ever tasted. The crust is crisp and rich with olive oil, and gently perfumed throughout with garlic. The mozzarella creates an ultra creamy base in lieu of sauce. Applying incredible attention to detail throughout, TasteFood blanches the broccoli rabe before sautéing it to get rid of excess bitterness; the crushed red pepper and garlic strike just the right balance of heat and pungency. Cooking the potato slices beforehand allows them to almost melt into the rest of the pizza, and a shower of rosemary, pecorino, and finally black pepper round out the symphony of complementary flavors. - A&M —The Editors

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • Broccoli Rabe, Potato and Rosemary Pizza
  • 2 uncooked pizza crusts (recipe below)
  • 1 large yukon gold potato, very thinly sliced
  • Salt
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 pound broccoli rabe, washed, ends trimmed
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced, plus 2 garlic cloves lightly smashed but still intact
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves
  • 1/2 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Rosemary sprigs for garnish
  • Pizza Dough Recipe
  • 2 teaspoons dry yeast
  • 1/2 cup lukewarm water
  • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup semolina flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup cold water
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
Directions
  1. Broccoli Rabe, Potato and Rosemary Pizza
  2. Preheat oven to 375 F.
  3. Toss potatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Arrange potatoes in one layer on a baking tray. Bake until edges begin to turn golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Increase oven temperature to 475 F.
  4. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add broccoli rabe and blanch 30 seconds; drain. Plunge broccoli rabe into a bowl of ice water. Cool and drain again. Lay in one layer on a kitchen towel to thoroughly dry. Cut in 2" pieces.
  5. Heat one tablespoon olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and red pepper flakes. Sauté briefly, 30 seconds. Add broccoli rabe and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sauté one minute. Remove from heat. Taste and add more salt if necessary.
  6. Assemble pizzas: Lightly brush pizza crusts with olive oil. Rub all over with smashed garlic cloves.
  7. Arrange one layer mozzarella cheese over crusts. Top with one layer of potatoes and broccoli rabe. Sprinkle one tablespoon rosemary over each crust. Top with grated Pecorino cheese.
  8. Bake on pizza stone or on tray on lowest rack in oven until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly, about 15 minutes.
  9. Before serving, sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Garnish with fresh rosemary leaves and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil.
  1. Pizza Dough Recipe
  2. Stir yeast and lukewarm water together in a bowl. Add 1/4 cup all-purpose flour and semolina. Mix well. Let sit until bubbly, about 30 minutes.
  3. Combine remaining flour and salt in another bowl. Add to yeast with cold water and olive oil. Mix well to form a dough.
  4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead with hands until dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Or use a mixer with a dough hook, and knead about 5 minutes.
  5. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl and turn to coat all sides with oil. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours. Punch dough down, and let rise another 45 minutes.
  6. Divide dough into 2 equal disks (or 4 if you would like small pizzas.) Let rest 30 minutes before shaping. Lightly flour a work surface. Using your fingers or heels of your hands, stretch the disks out to 10" shapes.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Taylor Stanton
    Taylor Stanton
  • Scott Citron
    Scott Citron
  • Mae
    Mae
  • Diana Abu Jaber
    Diana Abu Jaber
  • Chef Devaux
    Chef Devaux

103 Reviews

ks.grand April 13, 2023
I’m not usually big on no sauce pizzas, but I really enjoyed this one! I used broccolini instead of broccoli rabe, used a pan pizza dough, and added sun dried tomatoes- it turned out really delicious!
 
Nancy July 4, 2022
Came to this recipe late, when I was looking to use some ingredients on hand. A lovely taste combination, and an indulgence of carb on carb (potato on pizza)!
 
Taylor S. June 1, 2022
This dough is very easy to put together a few hours before dinner and I like that the recipe calls for a preferment. It's a solid pizza dough recipe for when you're not really planning ahead but want pizza! Delicious flavors for the veggie/herb/cheese mixture and I also added dollops of ricotta before baking mine.
 
kccheng November 18, 2020
Absolutely lovely- was unsure about the potato but everything came together beautifully. The instructions also ensure a lovely presentation !
 
katharinec November 3, 2019
Late to this game, but this is the best pizza e-vah!!!! Thank you!
 
Scott C. May 9, 2018
Made this last night and was not disappointed. Will add this recipe to my current pizza rotation.
 
Mae December 13, 2017
I've been eyeing this recipe for awhile now. I finally made it tonight! I used purple and red potatoes. I did as the recipe said - sliced the potatoes very thin, then cooked them in the oven for 15 minutes. That resulted in burnt potato chips! So I sliced a few more potatoes and skipped the pre-baking step. To make this vegan, I used the "moxarella" cheese recipe from the One Green Planet website - so good!!!! Oh, and I didn't have broccoli rabe, so I used some kale from the garden. Very easy pizza dough recipe, too!
 
Diana A. March 2, 2017
I adore this recipe, but it is SO easy to miss the moment in the second step where you click the oven up to 475.
 
Chef D. December 10, 2015
never had potato on a pizza
 
Michelle May 2, 2015
This was incredible! followed the recipe exactly - the only thing I added was a little extra pepper and red pepper flakes to the dough before we added any of the toppings.
 
sarah L. December 17, 2014
So good! I added some crumbled chicken sausage for protein. :)
 
Petite F. March 13, 2014
Made this twice, absolutely D-LISH!
 
Fiona R. February 23, 2014
This is a fantastic recipe. The broccoli rabe is definitely the stand-out element. I will be making this again and again
 
Manhattan T. February 22, 2014
This is fabulous! The broccoli rabe makes it! It's gilding the lily, but this is made even better by the addition of some eggs cracked on top, generously peppered, then baked for the remaining 5-7 minutes of the cooking time.
 
Denise February 6, 2014
Made this tonight and it was delicious! I couldn't find broccoli rabe, so substituted broccolini and it worked out well. Looking forward to trying it w/ the broccoli rabe. Thanks!
 
Laura November 20, 2019
Me too! I was so concerned but it did work well!
 
NancyH January 30, 2014
What do folks like to serve with this for a complete meal? Salad doesn't feel right....ideas?
 
KimiK January 30, 2014
I threw a bunch of arugula on the top when it came out of the oven and it did the trick for us, but I throw arugula on everything!
 
KimiK January 27, 2014
This was very good except I would switch out the mozzarella for Fontina next time.. I felt it needed a bump up..
 
Sigita January 24, 2014
This has become a staple pizza for my vegetarian daughter at Pizza Fridays at my home. It is delicious. I could eat just the potato slices on their own.
Very good combo.
 
Amirah H. July 14, 2013
Can't wait to try this recipe! Any tips on how I can freeze the dough?
 
Amirah H. July 14, 2013
Oh dear, just realized that someone already asked the same question as me! Alright, off to the kitchen I go!
 
Nancy E. June 20, 2013
Is there any reason not to use a prepared cornmeal pizza crust in place of the homemade crust?

Thanks.
 
drbabs June 20, 2013
None whatsoever, except that this pizza crust is fabulous.
 
Loredona June 7, 2013
I made this pizza last night and it was really tasty! I prepared the broccoli rabe the day before since I had a head of it in my fridge. I also had leftover "Spanish Roasted Potatoes" from the Food 52 site so used those which are amazing. All this cut down on the prep time. I used store bought pizza dough from our local farmers market and rosemary from my garden. I made it on my pizza stone first putting a little corn meal on the stone to prevent sticking however, I had to crank up the temperature to 475 and cook it longer than 15 minutes. I think next time, I will let the pizza stone sit in the over much longer to get it really hot. I have added this recipe to my collection, it is a winner!
 
Amy G. April 28, 2013
I made this pizza today, I was trying to replicate a pizza we had at a local artisan pizza place, which had potatoes, bacon and rosemary, so I left off the broccoli rabe and used instead applewood smoked bacon that I baked in a 400 degree oven first until almost done. Otherwise I made the pizza exactly as the recipe says with fresh mozzarella, crushed garlic and the yukon gold potatoes and it was excellent. My teenage son said it was even better than the restaurant! (This is high praise from him). I definitely plan to make it again, and will use broccoli rabe for one of the pizzas and bacon for the other. The crust was very easy to roll out. Next time I will make it ahead of time and refrigerate it as it did take all afternoon.
 
MaryMary H. January 2, 2013
Looks beautiful. Actually, I came here to mock the headline because the lead-in from Yahoo said "No Fuss-Entertaining" instead of "No-Fuss Entertaining." I would like a party without fussy hosts or guests, so I thought I'd attend. Alas, the typo was fixed in the main article and I was left with a (delicious looking) pizza.
 
ginampen October 31, 2012
I made this pizza the other night and it was fantastic! I'm such a fan of potatoes on pizza but you don't see it too often. I was worries that it might be a bit dry without a sauce but it was wonderful. I will be making this again but I will try to work up some kind of dipping sauce for the crust just because I think Papa John's is on to something!
 
tamater S. February 6, 2014
Dipping sauce: a real thick yogurt, (the thing for us, locally, is Kremma) and everything now is to taste: good salt, smoked paprika, hot paprika, cayenne… if not everyone likes it spicy, you can make this up mild and reserve some, while continuing on with the spices to taste for those who like the zing.
 
CuriousH September 19, 2012
Can you make the pizza dough ahead of time? For instance, if I'm making the pies tonight for dinner, can I make the pizza dough early afternoon and let it sit?

Can't wait to make this! My parents recently did and said it was the best pizza they'd ever made!
 
TasteFood September 19, 2012
Yes, you can make the dough ahead of time. Store individual portions in a plastic bag in the refrigerator overnight or freeze.
 
CuriousH September 19, 2012
Can you make the pizza dough ahead of time? For instance, if I'm making the pies tonight for dinner, can I make the pizza dough early afternoon and let it sit?

Can't wait to make this! My parents recently did and said it was the best pizza they'd ever made!
 
MMarch March 6, 2012
loved this-I substituted mushrooms for potatoes since I had no potatoes
 
MMarch March 6, 2012
loved this-I substituted mushrooms for potatoes since I had no potatoes
 
MMarch March 6, 2012
loved this-I substituted mushrooms for potatoes since I had no potatoes
 
mle18 February 27, 2012
this was delicious . . . although next time I might spice it up by using tallegio in place of the mozzarella.
 
tomarketwithmo February 26, 2012
yay, have all the ingredients! so part of our Oscars menu tonite!
 
Jenifer M. January 13, 2012
This looks amazing. I can't wait to try it. I'm always looking for interesting flavors to offset the bitterness of Broccoli Rabe and this is perfect. Wow!
 
marynn September 18, 2011
Making it for dinner tonight yet again! Beyond fabulous and a great transition meal from summer to an early cool, rainy fall Sunday night.
 
EmilyC June 6, 2011
This is one amazing pizza. I made it this weekend on the grill. The flavors are incredible. Thanks for sharing such a beautiful recipe.
 
TasteFood June 6, 2011
You're welcome - grilling it is a great idea!
 
Rembems May 18, 2011
I made this for Mother's Day, and everyone loved it!!! I cheated by buying premade dough, but next time I make this I am definitely going to try making the dough too. So so good, and I don't even like pizza!
 
TasteFood May 18, 2011
So happy you liked it!
 
Franca March 23, 2011
Made this over the weekend and this will definately be my go to pizza dough. The best I have ever made. Well done Tastefood!
 
Hark March 19, 2011
Soooooo good. I used broccoli instead of broccolini, and it was still fantastic.
 
jelyapt February 6, 2011
I haven't been a fan of Broccoli Rabe, but I decided to try this recipe after reading A&M's comments. This was by far the best pizza I've ever eaten, and well worth the effort. Bravo to TasteFood! Thanks for sharing this wonderful creation.
 
TasteFood February 6, 2011
Thank you so much for your comment!
 
TheWimpyVegetarian February 6, 2011
I love this so much I'd like to include it as one of the dishes for my Winter Greens class I'm teaching in a few weeks. I'll make some changes to make it mine, but wanted to make sure you didn't have any objections. I'll give you and your blog credit for the inspiration on the copies of the recipe :-) OK?
 
TasteFood February 6, 2011
Go for it! I am so glad you would like to use it for your class.
 
thecrabbycook February 6, 2011
If i weren't so crust-challenged, I'd make this in a heartbeat. Maybe I'll update my New Year's resolutions to include masering the art of pizza-making. (More likely scenario is I'll buy a premade crust!)
 
TasteFood February 6, 2011
You can make the crust!
 
STEsker February 1, 2011
My first successful attempt at pizza! No doubt due to your precise instructions. The only change I made was adding some pancetta. I browned it, removed it from the pan and used some of the rendered fat to soften the garlic for the rabe. I sprinkled the pancetta on top of the pizza before the parm reggiano. While my husband asked for more meat the next time around, I thought it was spectacular. Thank you!
 
TasteFood February 6, 2011
Pancetta sounds like a great addition.
 
Nurse N. January 24, 2011
Can't wait to try this one! We love broccoli rabe. Have you ever tried substituting a few tablespoons of white corn meal, and a few of whole wheat flour for the white flour? I am experimenting with dough....
 
TasteFood February 6, 2011
Sorry for the late reply. No I haven't tried using whole wheat flour. If you come up with a good variation, please share it!
 
Oui, C. November 11, 2010
I FINALLY got around to making this last night, and it could quite possibly be the best pizza I've ever had. Tossed a little proscuitto on the top, but otherwise followed your recipe to the letter. SO GOOD! - S
 
LMaass November 7, 2010
This was FABULOUS!! I made two pizzas--one with a pizza stone and one on a cookie sheet. The stone made a huge difference in the texture of the crust. Nice and crispy. I will definitely make this again. Thank you for a wonderful recipe.

 
yella October 20, 2010
this was absolutely fantastic, big hit with the boyfriend too! will definitely be making it again.
 
TasteFood October 21, 2010
I am so glad you like it!
 
JSCooks September 28, 2010
Thank you for inspiring a terrific dinner! I used a whole wheat crust (inauthentic, I know, but toothsome and delicious), goat gouda (so good), and a mix of garden herbs -- fresh sage, thyme, oregano -- along with the rosemary. I browned the tater slices in a skillet while the oven heated. That step (browning, whether oven or stovetop) makes a huge difference (and, indeed, requires huge self-restraint not to snack them all up before they get to the pizza). Kale was what I had on hand and it worked well, but I can't wait to try this with broccoli raab, one of my all-time favorite greens. Congratulations and many thanks for a great (and versatile ;-) recipe!
 
monica's S. June 14, 2010
This looks delicious. Can't wait to try thi!
 
Pizza M. May 25, 2010
I am a pizza snob, the dough should be hand shaped, not rolled out with a pin.

It's easy to hand shape the dough on parchment, trim off the corners to prevent scorching, then slide the parchment with topped dough to the stone, the hotter the oven the better; 500 or 550d. An alternative to parchment is to preheat the stone, have your mis and formed dough ready to go near the stove, move the hot stone to the stove's burner grates, then quickly place the dough on it, add toppings and get it back in the oven in a flash.

Using a peel to reliably slide a pizza onto a small stone is tough.

Check the pizza for doneness by taking a peek at the bottom, you want some browning, the appearance of the top is almost irrelevant.
 
TasteFood May 25, 2010
I agree that using a peel is tricky and parchment makes the whole process easier. Those are all great tips, thank you!
 
lacerise October 7, 2010
i'm curious about how you move a stone from a 550 degree oven to the burner grates on your stovetop and then back again!
 
Pizza M. October 7, 2010
Hey lacerise,

Get that stone screaming hot, then grab it with two oven mitts and put it on the stove's top. The mitts insulate your hands long enough for a quick move ONLY. Move the dough to it like a pie crust, top it quickly and get it back in the oven as fast as you can. The dough will start bubbling up as you work. Speed is of the essence. Minimize the time the oven door is open. No more mozzarella burnt onto the oven floor.

I'm making this pizza right now.
 
lastnightsdinner May 19, 2010
Again, huge congrats on your win, and I truly can't wait to try this. I love broccoli rabe and am always on the lookout for ways to prepare it beyond my old favorites.
 
TasteFood May 19, 2010
Thanks again!
 
drbabs May 19, 2010
Congratulations!!!! What a great recipe!
 
TasteFood May 19, 2010
thank you!
 
dymnyno May 16, 2010
I have to admit that the broccolini put me off at first...then I read it again and the wow factor really kicked in!! I have pizza dough at the ready and will make it tonight...mmmm. Congratulations on a great recipe.
 
TasteFood May 17, 2010
Thank you, I'm glad you got over the rapini... I am making your artichokes tonight!
 
ehrrin May 16, 2010
This is such a fantastic recipe! I used some dough I'd already made, and swapped out the rabe for some mixed baby braising greens I got at the farmer's market yesterday, but otherwise stayed true to the recipe, and WOW. Love this. My new favorite pizza, hands down!
 
TasteFood May 17, 2010
Braising greens sound like a great alternative!
 
monkeymom May 16, 2010
TasteFood, your pizza dough is so delicious. This is a really great combination of well prepared ingredients. Well done!
 
TasteFood May 17, 2010
Thanks, Monkeymom. I am happy you liked it!
 
drbabs May 15, 2010
I made this for dinner last night--it was fabulous! I made the dough Thursday night and it sat in the refrigerator all day Friday--which didn't hurt it a bit. The combination of flavors was wonderful--I could have eaten it by myself in one sitting! (Is that wrong?!) Can't wait to make it again. Thank you for a great recipe.
 
TasteFood May 15, 2010
You're welcome - I am glad you liked it. Aren't pizzas meant to be eaten by yourself in one sitting?
 
lapadia May 14, 2010
BRAVO to a White Pizza! You have my vote...and then I will be making this tonight…
 
Kelsey B. May 13, 2010
Congrats- this looks amazing! It can be hard to find good white pizzas and this one looks awesome!! Consider it saved and printed!
 
mrslarkin May 13, 2010
Yum yum. Congrats!
 
Congrats TasteFood!! Your pizza looks wonderful! Good luck!
 
monkeymom May 13, 2010
Congratulations TasteFood!
 
Helenthenanny May 13, 2010
Hooray hooray hooray!!! There's our gal! And with a pizza that rocks my ever-lovin' world!!! I love everything about this pizza, especially the par-roasting of the potatoes. That is totally the way to do it. So happy for ya, congrats, and you've got my vote!
 
TasteFood May 13, 2010
Thank you everyone for your nice comments!
 
Oui, C. May 13, 2010
Gee...my third comment on the same recipe, a record of sorts for me. Congrats on being a finalist, this fab pizza certainly gets my vote.
 
TasteFood May 13, 2010
three's a charm... thanks again!
 
kaykay May 13, 2010
Looks wonderful! I've been enjoying broccoli rabe this year so I'm looking forward to trying this. Congratulations!
 
Culinista A. May 13, 2010
This looks incredible, congratulations!
 
Denise May 13, 2010
Very nice. I think my husband would like this too. Thanks!
 
drbabs May 13, 2010
When I saw this recipe, I said I have to try this and went and bought a new pizza stone (my old one broke awhile ago!). Looking forward to pizza this weekend!! Congrats!
 
Rivka May 13, 2010
Congrats! Beautiful pizza -- well deserved!
 
healthierkitchen May 5, 2010
Love these flavors!
 
TasteFood May 5, 2010
Thank you!
 
Oui, C. May 5, 2010
Broccoli Rabe is one of my very favorite vegetables...this pizza is just SCREAMING my name. Brava!
 
TasteFood May 5, 2010
Thank you, Oui Chef. I was happy to have an excuse to remake this recipe last night.
 
TasteFood January 13, 2010
Thank you, everyone, for your nice comments!
 
AntoniaJames January 12, 2010
To die for. Another gorgeous, brilliant recipe from TasteFood. Mmmmm, this looks tasty!
 
SunnySideUp (. January 12, 2010
beautiful idea and picture!
 
SunnySideUp (. January 12, 2010
especially with the yukon gold. that makes it perfection.
 
TasteFood January 12, 2010
It takes a lot of effort to not eat all of the potatoes before putting them on the pizza.
 
SunnySideUp (. January 12, 2010
i'm sure! they're my absolute favorite. i love that they must have a wonderful, roasty flavor on the pizza.
 
Oui, C. January 12, 2010
This looks so good I wish I could eat the picture...YUM!
 
at T. January 12, 2010
Yum. This looks great. I'm going to try making it.