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Justine Doiron

just real good food

Recipes, Special Diets, Toasts, Vegetarian · May 16, 2023

Tomato, Kale & Ricotta Toast

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Call it silly, call it humble, but we all love a good pizza toast. For me as a kid (and don’t tell me I’m doing the food-blogger trope of talking about my childhood! I’m in my feelings), but as a kid, I would make these not-so-elaborate toasts of bread, marinara sauce, and mozzarella cheese. They would usually get tossed in the microwave or oven, and a humble (let’s be honest, kind of gross) pizza toast was born.

This is a more vegetable-packed pizza toast, though, and it’s referential to my childhood snack, while still packing a significant amount of additional flavor. This is a slightly more grown-up version, filled with fresh tomatoes, herbs and spices, garlic, shallot, kale and a healthy portion of olive oil. The cheeses used are a mix of fresh ricotta from my farmer’s market (love) and a sprinkle of parmesan, but if you’re plant-based, both of those things are completely optional. You can also swap the anchovies for crushed capers in brine, and it will become a fully vegan, pizza-y meal.

Ingredients you will need for this all-grown-up pizza toast

This toast has a few ingredients that are absolutely integral (helloooo tomatoes), but from there, everything else can be switched or swapped based on what you need. Here’s the full list of ingredients, plus some optional swaps in bold.

  • 2 slices of thick sourdough bread about 1″ thick per piece – this can also be any kind of hearty bread you have on hand
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 flat packed anchovy fillet, plus a drizzle of the oil it was stored in – this can be swapped for 2 teaspoons of non pareil capers packed in brine, plus a drizzle more of olive oil
  • 1 large shallot thinly sliced – any sweet onion is a great sub for this!
  • 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 4 cups lacinato kale, very finely chopped – any hearty green will work here, think: chard, mustard greens, collard greens, etc.
  • 2 tablespoons whole milk ricotta – mascarpone, burrata, or mozzarella also work really well here! You can also completely omit.
  • 1/2 cup fresh parsley and basil, finely chopped
  • 1 ounce fresh parmesan, for grating and finishing – I’ve also been known to grate walnuts as a parmesan sub or to keep things vegan

How to prepare the pizza toast

This toast is delicious, it will make your house smell like an Italian restaurant (who could be mad at that?), and it’s nutritious, and it all comes together rather quickly. Once you have all your ingredients set and ready, the process takes around 15-20 minutes.

Start by toasting the bread to your preferred level of golden, then set aside. In a large sauté pan, add the olive oil and place it over medium heat. Add in the anchovy and a drizzle of the oil from the anchovy tin. Mix to melt the anchovy into the oil, this should take less than 30 seconds.


Add the shallot and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until softened. Toss in the garlic and cook an additional 3-4 minutes, or until softened. Add the oregano, basil and season with salt and pepper. It should be starting to smell delicious.
Cook an additional 2-3 minutes before adding the cherry tomatoes. Let them cook, stirring very few times, until they start to collapse, about 8-10 minutes. Add in the kale and a splash of water and stir often, encouraging the kale to melt into all the established flavors. Do this for another 2-3 minutes or until the kale is fully softened. Season again to taste. Add in the ricotta and stir to combine. Then add in the basil and parsley and mix. Remove the pan from the heat.


Pile half of the mixture on one toast and half on the other – the toasts might overfloweth, but you can thank the vegetables for that. Grate over some fresh parmesan and a few cracks of black pepper. Enjoy warm!

Looking for other simple toasts and meals?

Here are a few that are my favorite:

Spinach Artichoke Bowl
This easy lunch or dinner recipe is for everyone who ever wanted to eat a whole bowl of spinach and artichoke dip by themselves, because that's exactly what this tastes like. The thing can serve as a full meal, or a killer side dish, depending on how you portion it. The whole recipe takes about 20 minutes, making it an easy, hearty, delicious, and vegetable-packed option for any weeknight dinner.
Check out this recipe
Cottage Cheese Bowl with Za’atar Vegetables & Fresno Pepper Sauce
This cottage cheese bowl is easy, delicious, versatile and interesting. Plus it's easy to make ahead of time and eat throughout the week! It's high in protein, filled with flavor, and packed with wholesome ingredients. This cottage cheese bowl with roasted za'atar vegetables and quick sweet-and-spicy sauce is one of my ultimate go-tos.
Check out this recipe
Harissa-Simmered Artichokes on Toast
It has come to my favorite time of year – and that is simmer season. The time where I let everything slow-simmer in my favorite sauces, and this harissa-simmered artichoke recipe is the perfect example. It's easy to make, the perfect texture and filled with subtle smokey flavor. Serve it on toast and it is absolute heaven. Even if you don't like canned artichokes, this toast will change your mind!
Check out this recipe

And that’s it for this pizza toast!

If you make them, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.

And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3

Watch the recipe here

The video may not fully represent the recipe. For best results, follow the instructions as written.

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A post shared by Justine Doiron (@justine_snacks)

Pizza Toast

A humble recipe idea, but delicious and packed with vegetables, this pizza toast tastes like nostalgia, but is filled with enough nutrition that you can have it every day of the week and still feel great. It uses cherry tomatoes, kale and touches of herbs, ricotta and parmesan to bring the pizza energy right to your favorite toast.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time:15 minutes mins
Cook Time:13 minutes mins
Course: Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Fusion, Italian
Keyword: cherry tomatoes, kale, pizza, toast
Servings: 2 servings

Equipment

  • 1 high sided sauté pan

Ingredients

  • 2 slices of thick sourdough bread about 1" thick per piece
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 flat packed anchovy fillet plus a drizzle of the oil it was stored in
  • 1 large shallot thinly sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves thinly sliced
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
  • 4 cups lacinato kale very finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons whole milk ricotta
  • 1/2 cup fresh parsley and basil finely chopped
  • 1 ounce fresh parmesan for grating and finishing

Instructions

  • Toast the bread to your preferred level of golden and set aside.
  • In a large sauté pan, add the olive oil and place it over medium heat. Add in the anchovy and a drizzle of the oil from the anchovy tin. Mix to melt the anchovy into the oil, this should take less than 30 seconds.
  • Add the shallot and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until softened. Add the garlic and cook an additional 3-4 minutes, or until softened. Add the oregano, basil and season with salt and pepper. It should be starting to smell delicious.
  • Cook an additional 2-3 minutes before adding the cherry tomatoes. Let them cook, stirring very few times, until they start to collapse, about 8-10 minutes. Add in the kale and a splash of water and stir often, encouraging the kale to melt into all the established flavors. Do this for another 2-3 minutes or until the kale is fully softened. Season again to taste.
  • Add in the ricotta and stir to combine. Then add in the basil and parsley and mix. Remove the pan from the heat.
  • Pile half of the mixture on one toast and half on the other – the toasts might overfloweth, but you can thank the vegetables for that.
  • Grate over some fresh parmesan and a few cracks of black pepper. Enjoy warm!

Posted In: Recipes, Special Diets, Toasts, Vegetarian

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Anna says

    May 21, 2023 at 10:24 pm

    Delicious and easy to follow recipe! I didn’t have anchovies but used a drizzle of fish sauce instead and it turned out great!

  2. Ann says

    June 11, 2023 at 7:24 pm

    I loved this. I used it to top a bowl of pasta. No anchovies or mozzarella. I topped topped with a sprinkle of Parmesan. Definitely will make again.

    • Justine says

      June 13, 2023 at 12:54 pm

      I’m so thrilled you liked it, and thank you for taking the time to leave this comment!

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Hey! I'm Justine. A recipe developer, highly dedicated eater, and bread enthusiast with an archive of both savory and sweet. This is where I store all my recipes, feel free to take a look around!
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