Pizza Toscana with roasted cauliflower and crispy kale

This pizza is the culmination of a journey from a guilty pleasure, Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana soup, to a low-carb adaptation, all the way back to a decidedly not low-carb pizza. 

Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana—a creamy soup with kale, sausage, and potatoes—was a longtime favorite. During a blip in time years ago when we were on a low-carb diet. I created a version of this soup swapping roasted cauliflower for potatoes. Though we're no longer low-carb by any means, I like that version better than the original because it packs in extra vegetables and flavor. I already made a carby pasta dish inspired by the cauliflower version. It was only a matter of time before I made this into a pizza. 

Here's a loose and easy recipe:

Start with store-bought pizza dough—I like Trader Joe's. Follow the package instructions to let it rest, then roll it out onto a sheet pan. 

While prepping the pizza, toss a pound of cauliflower florets (fresh or frozen) with salt and a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Roast them in the oven at 450 degrees—this can be done while preheating your oven for the pizza.

For a creamy sauce, mash together 10 cloves of garlic confit with its oil, or just use some ricotta. Spread this on your pizza dough. 

Next, sprinkle on some grated Parmesan and mozzarella or Italian blend cheese. Add some Italian herbs and pepper flakes if you like a bit of heat. 

Toss on crumbled vegan Italian sausage (I use Field Roast) and roasted cauliflower. 

For the top layer, scatter chopped raw kale, give everything a light spray with olive oil spray and add a pinch of salt. As it cooks, the kale will crisp up into chips, adding a wonderful textural contrast.

Bake the pizza according to the dough's package directions. Mine was at 450 degrees for about 10 minutes. Pizza's ready when the dough is cooked through, browned on the edges, and the kale is crispy.