Tomato, Kale & Ricotta Toast

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:

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