broccoli rabe and goat cheese pizza
Plus it gives you a reason to try new cool leafy green things, like rabe. After just trying swiss chard for the first time (yes, as in ever) I was amazed at how much I actually liked it, I mean me and green things, we don’t get along unless the word bean comes after it. Needless to say I was very excited — and it’s rabe season here, meaning it’s going to be real good.
Or so I thought. Having never eaten this particular green, one might assume that I at least looked up what it tasted like or perhaps how to cook the darn thing, but no. I plucked up a fluffy looking bunch and sauteed it until it looked….ehh, it’s done and found that I am not the huge broccoli rabe fan I was hoping to be. Perhaps I pinned too much hope on it after having wild success with chard, perhaps I was trying to slim off the few pounds (read: TEN!) I’ve gained from and since vacation, or perhaps I really just wanted to be a healthy eater after being obsessed with buttery prawns and ice cream. Either way, none of them came true. I am still an avid non-green eater, unless of course we’re talking beans or chard. I found it to be excessively bitter, and tasted just like broccoli (have I mentioned I’m not the biggest fan of that either?) and well, the goat cheese was at least fantastic. The husband, however, liked it — which is good, because I can’t really afford any more “mess-ups” at the moment. And he used the words “very broccoli” and “healthy tasting” to describe it, so, if you like broccoli, or its rabe counterpart, like greens in general, want to try something new, believe this is your calling for the shedding of extra vacation weight, or ya know, just want to try it because it sounds delicious, then please do. And for those of you who love this bittery green, do you think I prepared it wrong, is that why I am sliding off the leafy green bandwagon?
Oh, yes, the crust — fantastic (read: amazing, one of my favorites, will make it again, and every other possible good adjective you can think of).
One Year Ago: Skirt Steak with Caramelized Onions and Red Wine Jus, the best dinner you will ever serve
Broccoli Rabe and Goat Cheese Pizza
Adapted from Saveur
Makes one 15-inch pizza
Dough:
Makes enough for two 15-inch thin crust pizzas
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup warm water
3 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup warm beer
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Parmesan cheese, grated
In a large bowl combine yeast, honey and water. Let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add flour, beer, olive oil, and salt and stir together until it forms a coarse mass. If needed, add a tablespoon of warm beer at a time until everything comes together.
Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer to an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let dough rise in a warm spot until doubled in size 1 1/2 – 2 hours, or over night in the refrigerator.
Divide dough in half, reserving one half for another pizza, or double the toppings below for two pizzas.
Roll and stretch dough out evenly and gently until it is thin and about 15-inches in diameter. If using a baking stone, place dough on parchment paper sprinkled with flour or corn meal. If using a pizza pan, place dough in pan. Brush dough with a light coat of olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese to taste. Set aside.
Place oven rack in the bottom most rung. Preheat to hottest temperature, mine goes to 550-degrees. If using a pizza stone, preheat now.
Toppings:
1 bunch broccoli rabe, rinsed and dried
2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
1 lemon, zested
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sautee rabe, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until wilted.
Spread rabe, goat cheese, and lemon zest evenly over pizza. If using a pizza stone, remove from oven and carefully slide pizza onto the stone. Place pizza in oven and bake for 7- 12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven, sprinkle with a little extra parmesan, slice, and serve.
Conversions & Equivalents
Volume | Baking | Metric | Pan Size | Temperature | Oven | Other
1/2 teaspoon
=
30 drops
1 teaspoon
=
1/3 tablespoon OR 60 drops
3 teaspoon
=
1 tablespoon or 1/2 fluid ounce
1/2 tablespoon
=
1 1/2 teaspoons
1 tablespoon
=
3 teaspoons or 1/2 fluid ounce
2 tablespoons
=
1/8 cup or 1 fluid ounce
3 tablespoons
=
1 1/2 fluid ounces
4 tablespoons
=
1 1/4 cup or 2 fluid ounces
5 1/3 tablespoons
=
1/3 cup or 5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon
8 tablespoons
=
1/2 cup or 4 fluid ounces
10 2/3 tablespoons
=
2/3 cup or 10 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons
12 tablespoons
=
3/4 cup or 6 fluid ounces
16 tablespoons
=
1 cup or 8 fluid ounces or 1/2 pint
1/8 cup
=
2 tablespoons or 1 fluid ounce
1/4 cup
=
4 tablespoons or 2 fluid ounces
1/3 cup
=
5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon
3/8 cup
=
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons
1/2 cup
=
8 tablespoons or 4 fluid ounces
2/3 cup
=
10 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons
5/8 cup
=
1/2 cup + 2 teaspoons
3/4 cup
=
12 tablespoons or 6 fluid ounces
7/8 cup
=
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons
1 cup
=
16 tablespoons or 1/2 pint or 8 fluid ounces
2 cups
=
1 pint or 16 fluid ounces
1 pint
=
2 cups or 16 fluid ounces
1 quart
=
2 pints or 4 cups or 32 fluid ounces
1 gallon
=
4 quarts or 8 pints or 16 cups or 128 fluid ounces
FLOUR
1 cup all-purpose flour
=
5 ounces or 142 grams
1 cup cake flour
=
4 ounces or 113 grams
1 cup whole wheat flour
=
5 1/2 ounces or 156 grams
SUGAR
1 cup granulated white sugar
=
7 ounces or 198 grams
1 cup packed brown sugar
=
7 ounces or 198 grams
1 cup confectioners sugar
=
4 ounces or 113 grams
COCOA POWDER
1 cup cocoa powder
=
3 ounces or 85 grams
BUTTER
4 tablespoons
=
1/2 stick or 1/4 cup or 2 ounces
8 tablespoons
=
1 stick or 1/2 cup or 4 ounces
16 tablespoons
=
2 sticks or 1 cup or 8 ounces
32 tablespoons
=
4 sticks or 2 cups or 1 pound
1/4 teaspoon
=
1.23 milliliters
1/2 teaspoon
=
2.46 milliliters
3/4 teaspoon
=
3.7 milliliters
1 teaspoon
=
4.93 milliliters
1 1/4 teaspoon
=
6.16 milliliters
1 1/2 teaspoon
=
7.39 milliliters
1 3/4 teaspoon
=
8.63 milliliters
2 teaspoon
=
9.86 milliliters
1 tablespoon
=
14.79 milliliters
2 tablespoons
=
29.57 milliliters
1/4 cup
=
59.15 milliliters
1/2 cup
=
118.3 milliliters
1 cup
=
236.59 milliliters
2 cups or 1 pint
=
473.18 milliliters
3 cups
=
709.77 milliliters
4 cups or 1 quart
=
946.36 milliliters
1/4 teaspoon
=
1.23 milliliters
4 quarts or 1 gallon
=
3.785 liters
PAN SIZE
VOLUME
CAN SUBSTITUTE WITH
1 8-inch round cake pan
4 cups
1 8x4-inch loaf pan
1 9-inch round cake pan
1 9-inch pie plate
2 8-inch round cake pans
8 cups
2 8x4-inch loaf pans
1 9-inch tube pan
2 9-inch round cake pans
1 10-inch bundt pan
1 11x7-inch baking dish
1 10-inch springform pan
1 9-inch round cake pan
6 cups
1 8-inch round cake pan
1 8x4-inch loaf pan
1 11x7-inch baking dish
2 9-inch round cake pans
12 cups
2 8x4-inch loaf pans
1 9-inch tube pan
2 8-inch round cake pans
1 10-inch bundt pan
2 11x7-inch baking dish
1 10-inch springform pan
1 10-inch round cake pan
11 cups
2 8-inch round cake pan
1 9-inch tube pan
1 10-inch springform pan
2 10-inch round cake pans
22 cups
5 8-inch round cake pans
3 or 4 9-inch round cake pans
2 10-inch spring form pan
9-inch tube pan
12 cups
2 8-inch round cake pans
2 9-inch round cake pans
1 10-inch bundt pan
10-inch tube pans
16 cups
3 9-inch round cake pans
2 10-inch pie plates
4 8-inch pie plates
2 9x5-inch loaf pans
2 8-inch square baking dishes
2 9-inch square baking dishes
10-inch bundt pan
12 cups
1 9x13-inch baking dish
2 9-inch round cake pans
1 9-inch tube pan
2 11x7-inch baking dishes
1 10-inch springform pan
11x7x2-inch baking dish
6 cups
1 8-inch square baking dish
1 9-inch square baking dish
1 9-inch round cake pan
9x13x2-inch baking dish
15 cups
1 10-inch bundt pan
2 9-inch round cake pans
3 8-inch round cake pans
1 10x15-inch jellyroll pan
10x15x1-inch jellyroll pan
15 cups
1 10-inch bundt pan
2 9-inch round cake pans
2 8-inch round cake pan
1 9x13-inch baking dish
9x5-inch loaf pan
8 cups
1 10-inch pie plate pan
1 8-inch square baking dish
1 9-inch square baking dish
8x4-inch loaf pan
6 cups
1 8-inch round cake pan
1 11x7-inch baking dish
9-inch springform pan
10 cups
1 10-inch round cake pan
1 10-inch spring form pan
2 8-inch round cake pans
2 9-inch round cake pans
10-inch springform pan
12 cups
2 8x4-inch loaf pan
1 9-inch tube pan
2 9-inch round cake pans
1 10-inch bundt pan
2 11x7-inch baking dishes
2 8-inch round cake pans
8-inch square baking dish
8 cups
1 9x5-inch loaf pan
2 8-inch pie plates
9-inch square baking dish
8 cups
1 11x7-inch baking dish
1 9x5-inch loaf pan
2 8-inch pie plate
Water Freezes
32°F
0°C
40°F
4.4°C
50°F
10°C
60°F
15.6°C
70°F
21.1°C
80°F
26.7°C
90°F
32.2°C
100°F
37.8°C
110°F
43.3°C
120°F
48.9°C
130°F
54.4°C
140°F
60°C
150°F
65.6°C
160°F
71.1°C
170°F
76.7°C
180°F
82.2°C
190°F
87.8°C
200°F
93.3°C
Water Boils
212°F
100°C
250°F
121°C
300°F
149°C
350°F
177°C
400°F
205°C
450°F
233°C
500°F
260°C
275°F
=
140°C or Gas Mark 1
300°F
=
150°C or Gas Mark 2
325°F
=
165°C or Gas Mark 3
350°F
=
180°C or Gas Mark 4
375°F
=
190°C or Gas Mark 5
400°F
=
200°C or Gas Mark 6
425°F
=
220°C or Gas Mark 7
450°F
=
230°C or Gas Mark 9
475°F
=
240°C or Gas Mark 10
And for conversions that are not listed I found a great conversion calculator here!
Comment Guidelines
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The Good Kind of Comments:
- Conversational. If you're starting or continuing a conversation about your life, your experiences in the kitchen, or stories about your family, then I love and welcome your comments. The ability to genuinely connect with other people with similar interests whom I may never otherwise meet is one of the things I most love about the food blogging community, and I encourage people to participate as much as they'd like in these sometimes spontaneous conversations.
- Feedback. If you tried a recipe that you found on The Red Spoon, I would love to hear about it. Whether it was a success or a flop, whether you added ingredients or adjusted cooking times, whatever you did, I am always interested in hearing how things went in another kitchen with the same recipe.
- Questions. If something in a recipe is confusing or obviously wrong, please feel free to ask a question. Or, if you're just really curious about where we bought the cutest outfit on the latest Henry cameo, don't be shy at all about asking.
The Bad Kind of Comments:
- Irrelevant. I'm pretty open minded about the kinds of conversations that might happen in the comments section, but the ones I'm referring to here are things like permission requests, recipe requests, advertising requests, etc. that would be more appropriate in an email. A good rule of thumb is that if the comment will alienate everyone else reading the post, try putting in an email directly to me instead.
- Linking. As part of the comment in-take form, there is a field where you can enter your website or blog and it will appear as a hyperlink embedded in your name in the text of the comment. This kind of linking is perfectly acceptable. When linking is not acceptable is if the corresponding comment is completely irrelevant, i.e. an excuse to market your website on my website, in which case your comment will be deleted for irrelevance, or if you leave a link in the body of the comment. The rule of thumb is don't try to market your website on my website. I know all the tricks and I will delete your comment if I think this is what you're doing.
- Nastygrams. Every once in a while I find one of these in my inbox or in a comment on a post. People sending me nastygrams: don't do it. You're wasting your time. I really don't care if you think my blog "looks like" another blog, of if you think talking about my kid and putting pictures of him in posts is "copying" another blog. Seriously. The blog you're rushing to defend probably didn't come up with that one either, and even if they did there is nothing illegal, unethical, or unfair about doing the same thing. If you're genuinely concerned that plagiarism has taken place on The Red Spoon, just send me a polite email asking if I forgot to credit someone somewhere. But when you leave an anonymous comment saying that my website is ugly, you have become that annoying kid on the playground that wants to correct everyone but that no one else likes, except you're not a kid so what's your excuse? Your comment will be deleted, your email won't be responded to, and thank you for the page views and corresponding advertising revenue.
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Now, beer & pizza together in a recipe, that is genius! My Washer Up will be very pleased especially as the spinach & ricotta pancakes I made last night for Pancake Day were not pancakes. They were fritters apparently!! Don’t know about the broccoli rabe, never tried it, might use up the rest of the spinach though!
I want to try this! I feel like you could modify this and make the ULTIMATE MAN PIZZA, with the beer crust and as many different kinds of meat on top as possible.
I am not a fan of brocolli rabe although I do love every other green on the planet. But this pizza looks divine. What magnificent photos. As I have told you before, your photos are just gorgeous. I can never seem to get such bright magnificent light like you do. Your pix are SO impressive.
O-oh, we found our weekend pizza dough I believe!
Not sure if you cooked it wrong, I never used that green. I know some greens have to be boiled just a tad bit to get their bitter juice out but I am not sure what kind this one is. Personally I stay away from the greens with sharp edges on the leaves! I am a big fan of chard and soft looking greens. Now that I wrote it down, it sounds kinda weird! Never mind, just skip the greens , go for the killer pizza :)
Meg, first of all, thank you so much for visiting Calamity Kate’s yesterday. I was thrilled when I came to see your blog. You have stunning pictures and delicious looking recipes too. I will be visiting often. Thanks for visiting Calamity Kate’s this week. Congratulations, I have featured you on this weeks Friendly Friday post.
Meg – this is looks absolutely delicious. Even though most people find broccoli rabe/rapini too intense, I love the flavour. I think the bitter greens would taste lovely with the goat’s cheese. Yum – I want to eat this now! Thanks for sharing.
Meg, not sure if you will see this as I just found your blog and reading earlier posts but, in terms of broccoli rabe, if you blanche it for a couple of minutes, the bitterness will be gone.
Love your blog, your photos and recipes.
Thanks