Try a healthier take on pizza with this delicious and hearty sausage pizza that uses a kale pesto sauce topped with onions and cheese.
Jump to RecipePizza has always been one of my favorites foods. I can’t tell you how much pizza I ate while I was pregnant with my boys. But when Justin found this recipe for a sausage and kale pesto pizza from the Southern Living magazine he wanted to try, I was hesitant. I like my pizza with red sauce, a whole lot of cheese, and nothing else.
We weren’t sure we would be able to make the recipe at first. It requires a skillet that can be cooked in the oven, and I don’t have any cast iron skillets yet. I looked up the non-stick pans that I have. They are oven safe up to 450F. The original recipe says to cook at 500F but since the pans can’t go that high we did 450F and it worked out fine. Now that I have cast-iron skillets, I have no problem with meals like this.
A few weeks ago I told a story about Justin getting some fresh home-made sausage from a friend. There was still a bit of it left, so we used that up in this recipe. We had also bought some kale for another recipe so we had a bunch of extras.
The original recipe says to purchase a pre-made pizza dough, but I used our homemade pizza recipe to make my own dough. By substituting whole-wheat flour for the all-purpose flour I was able to make a whole-wheat crust as suggested.

Sausage and Kale Pesto Pizza Step by Step
Ingredients
- 1 pizza crust (whole-wheat)
- 1 lb sausage
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- 1 sweet onion (sliced)
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup kale
- 1 tbsp basil
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese (shredded)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp cornmeal
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese (shredded)
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Preparation
When the dough is ready, preheat the oven to 450F. Brown the sausage in a large skillet. This one won’t go in the oven, so you can use any skillet. Crumble the sausage and cook until it is no longer pink in the middle. Then remove from the skillet and place on a plate lined with towels.

Don’t wipe the pan out, and add two tablespoons of oil with the sliced onions. Sprinkle with a bit of salt, and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until they are brown and softened. This usually takes about 10 minutes, then remove from the heat.

In a food processor, combine the kale, basil, parmesan cheese, garlic, two tablespoons of oil, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Process this until it is smooth and makes a pesto.

Heat an oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add one tablespoon of oil and swirl to coat the pan. Then sprinkle with the cornmeal so that it coats the pan as well. The cornmeal gives the crust a slightly sweet flavor that went really well with this meal.

Stretch the dough out so that it covers the pan, including the sides, to create a deep-dish crust for the pizza. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook the crust for about 2-3 minutes, until it starts to bubble up.

Quickly spread the kale pesto over the crust then top with the sausage and onions.

Cover with cheese. The original recipe called for feta cheese, but I don’t like feta, so I used only the mozzarella. Sprinkle some crushed red pepper over the pizza, and brush the exposed edges of the crust with more olive oil.

Place the entire skillet in the oven and bake for about 12-15 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the cheese has melted.


Recipe
Originally Published On: April 3, 2017
Last Updated On: September 14, 2023

Hearty Sausage and Kale Pesto Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 pizza crust (whole-wheat)
- 1 lb sausage
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- 1 sweet onion (sliced)
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup kale
- 1 tbsp basil
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese (shredded)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp cornmeal
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese (shredded)
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450F or 500F (whichever your skillet can handle)
- Brown sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat until no longer pink
- Meanwhile, cut the onion into thin slices
- Remove the sausage from the pan and place on a towel-lined plate
- Without cleaning the pan, add two tablespoons of oil, the sliced onions, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- Cook the onions for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until brown and softened then remove from the heat
- In a food processor, combine the kale, basil, parmesan, garlic, 2 tablespoons of oil, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt until smooth
- Heat an oven-safe 12-inch skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes
- Add 1 tablespoon of oil and cornmeal and swirl to coat the pan
- Stretch the dough over the pan to cover the bottom and sides of the pan
- Cook dough over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes until the dough starts to bubble
- Quickly spread the pesto on the dough, then top with the cooked sausage, onions, mozzarella cheese, and crushed red pepper
- Brush any exposed crust edges with oil
- Place the entire skillet in the oven and bake for about 12-15 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the cheese has melted
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
More Kale Recipes
- Sausage Potato and Kale Soup
- Kale Beef Stew with Smashed Potatoes
- Hearty Sausage and Kale Pesto Pizza
- Immunity Soup
More Recipes with Sausage
- Sausage Potato and Kale Soup
- Sausage and Pepper Skillet Meal
- Warm and Hearty Sausage and Spinach Spaghetti Pie
- Sausage Biscuits and Gravy
- Italian Sausage and Tortellini Soup
- Hearty Sausage and Kale Pesto Pizza
- Easy Customizable Sausage and Vegetable Frittatas Breakfast
- Crawfish Boil Recipe
Other Mozzarella Recipes
- Super Easy Homemade Fried Mozzarella Sticks Recipe
- Fresh Mozzarella-Topped (Not So) Flatbread
- Crispy Fried Mozzarella Cakes Recipe with Fresh Cheese
- Mozzarella-Stuffed Meatloaf
- Super Easy Pizza Dip
- Cheesy Meatball Skillet
- Homemade Pizza Burgers: The Best Combo of Two Recipes
- Five Cheese Pull-Apart Bread
- Chicken and Spinach Alfredo Bake Casserole
- Thai Basil Pesto Flatbread
- Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu
- Super Easy Pizza Flatbread
- Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Shells
- Fresh Caprese Salad
- Spinach and Artichoke Quesadillas
- Easy Chicken Parmesan
- Kreacher’s French Onion Soup
- Hearty Sausage and Kale Pesto Pizza
- Classic Stuffed Shells
- Quick and Easy Homemade Pizza Bagels Recipe
- Baked Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Chicken and Spinach Casserole with Cream Cheese
- Baked Ziti
- BBQ Chicken Melt with Only 5 Ingredients
- Cheesy Garlic Bread
- Stromboli
- Cheesy Baked Crab Casserole
- Pizza Hot Pocket
- Cheesy Chicken and Spinach Stromboli Ring
- Hawaiian Chicken Wraps
- Cheesy Caper-Stuffed Tomatoes
This looks amazing. My hubby is not a fan of pizza sauce so I think this would make him very happy. I have to check to see if I have a Ian that can go in the oven now. Hmmmm maybe a idea for a Christmas present (early) lol
It never hurts to ask for one early! This is a great alternative to a red sauce for a pizza if he doesn’t usually like that.
This looks so delicious! I am a fan of red sauce on my pizza as well but this sounds so yummy, I probably wouldn’t even miss it.
It’s definitely something very different, but it’s a great way to try new things!
Now this would be a pizza I could really enjoy. Love using kale in so many different ways.
I’ve only used kale in a few recipes, but I’ve liked everything so far!
This looks super scrummy. Ideal for family and friend gatherings to pop with some salad x
I didn’t even think about a salad with this since it already has kale in it, but I bet that would go so well together.
Love everything about this! Love the sausage! Love the wheat crust! Love the pesto!
I know, there are so many delicious pieces to this recipe. Now if only I could get my boys to eat it…..
I’d sign up for a few slices of this pie!!!! Mmmmmmmm! I love the word “hearty!”
Me too. It makes me think of so many Southern Comfort-type meals!
As always, this looks amazing! You never cease to amaze me!
Thanks, Christina!
I love pizza and sausage! It looks so delicious. Just by looking at the pictures really makes me hungry and crave for it.
Normally I don’t go for a lot of toppings on my pizza, but this all worked so well together!
This looks so good!! I love finding new ways to incorporate kale into a meal!!
I know I don’t eat enough greens, so I do too!
I am totally a red sauce pizza girl as well. But I do love to try alternatives and see, this sounds good
Yep, I will stick with red sauce most of the time. But this was good for something a bit different.
OH how awesome is this?? I love pesto. I definitely have to try this recipe out! Thanks so much!
Would you believe, this was one of my first times really having pesto?
This looks super yummy! I have never thought of using kale like that before. This is something I will have to try sometime:)
It was a new way for me, too, but it was really good!
Ohhhhh my yum! This looks incredible and I am already writing down a grocery list to make this on the weekend. We are having company and although I don’t like to “test” a new-to-me recipe when we have someone different around the table, this one looks too good, and is perfect for a weekend dinner! We have a vegetarian in the home so would love if you had a great option for swapping out the sausage with something veggie friendly. I’m thinking to marinate some tempah? What do you think?
Oh I hope you all enjoy! I’ve never eaten tempeh before, so I don’t know much about it. I’d be interested to hear if it works out well, though!
How amazing those pizzas are! It is such a fabulous recipe for my family and friends in the weekend! But I think I will change some ingredients in these pizzas to make my own recipe! Anyway, thank you so much for the suggestion!
That’s one of the best things about cooking from scratch…. you can change what you want to make a meal/recipe fit your tastes!
Ooo this sounds so good. I have not yet tried kale on pizza, and with the pesto and sausage combo it sounds delicious!
This was a first for me, too. We’ve made it a few times now and it’s such a warm, hearty meal.
This sounds wonderful. I never thought of adding kale to pizza. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
It makes a great alternative to red sauce if you’re looking for something healthier.
This looks like a pizza that i would love. I am a huge veggie person and so that kale would probably be amazing.
I usually don’t care for a lot of veggies on pizza, but having pesto as the “sauce” was a great way to change it up.
I love a hearty pizza. This looks delicious and kale is my favorite leafy green. Always has been.
Sounds like the perfect pizza for you, then!
Wow, this sounds amazing! And an absolutely perfect meal for this cold, miserable weather we are having right now in the UK!
We have some cold and miserable weather that’s supposed to be rolling through here this afternoon, too. Warm meals are the best for this!
Too funny! We just had pesto pizza at a restaurant and we were talking about how great it would be to know how to make one at home. You are the best!
Perfect timing then!
My daughters were saying this morning that they want me to make pizza for dinner. I wish, I had read your post earlier, I would have made your recipe for them. It looks healthy and delicious. I will make it next time.
Yep, there’s always next time! It’s different than regular pizza, but still a great meal.
This is not an ordinary pizza and I really love the ingredients I would love to make this at home YUMM <3
You’re right, it’s not a typical pizza, but it’s great for something a bit different!
Hearty sausage and kale pesto pizza sounds healthy and delicious. It’s great to eat pizza, especially when the weather gets cooler.
This is the perfect pizza for cool weather. It’s warm and filling!
Ok, a cast iron skillet has been on my wishlist for ages. Bu now that I know you can make pizza in it, I have to get one ASAP. This looks so good!!!
Yes! I was the same way. It was on my list for so long and my father-in-law finally bought me one after reading a few of my posts here about wanting one 🙂
O my yum!!! Pizza is my all time favorite!!! Love switching the toppings up, so I will definitely be giving this combo a try! Sounds delicious
Pizza has always been one of my favorite foods, too!
This looks like a really satisfying meal. I love the addition of kale to it as it gives it a nice kick.
Adding the kale pesto was a great way to make it a bit healthier, too.
I love that this recipe is so simple! Even I can master it. Plus it’s so super hearty. Which is a must in a house full of boys.