These are a perfect little party dish! These ‘pizzas’ are bite-sized, cute, and full of wholesome ingredients- and they will make even your most omnivorous friends happy. Note that the polenta needs to cool for a few hours in the fridge before cutting, so make the polenta before putting on your party dress. And if you want to skip the Kale Pesto, a traditional basil pesto or homemade marinara sauce can be substituted. And if you want a real pizza? You can’t go wrong with traditional Sicilian pizza!
Polenta Pizza with Kale Pesto
1½ cups vegetable broth
1 cup unsweetened plant-based milk
1 cup polenta (course-ground cornmeal)
½ teaspoon each black pepper and dried basil
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (see note)
Kale Pesto
½ cup walnuts or pecans
½ cup sundried tomatoes, soaked
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil + more as needed
1 clove garlic
4 cups packed kale, de-stemmed and washed
2 cups fresh basil, washed
Salt and pepper to taste
Note: The pizza holds together best with dairy cheese; if you choose not to eat dairy, skip the cheese entirely. The polenta will not set with a vegan cheese. You can add in ¼ cup nutritional yeast and extra spices to enhance the flavor.
- To make the Polenta Pizza: bring broth and milk to a low boil in a medium saucepan. Add polenta, pepper, and basil. Simmer over very low heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Turn of heat and let stand 10 minutes. Stir in cheese until melted completely.
- Pour polenta into an 8×8-inch baking dish or 9-inch pie plate and spread evenly in the pan. Chill for one hour, or until firm.
- Meanwhile, prepare the Pesto: blend nuts, tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, and kale in food processor until totally smooth. Add more oil (or water) if needed to achieve a smooth consistency.
- When Polenta is firm, slice into squares, and place on serving plate. Spread pesto on top. Toast in oven to warm, or serve at room temperature. Makes 8-12 pieces.
Aaah these look so amazing!