Broccolini Pizza

Broccoli di cicco, often referred to as baby broccoli or broccolini, has smaller florets and more tender stems than its better known cousin. Though often mistaken for broccoli rabe—which is actually not in the broccoli family at all but part of the turnip family—broccoli di cicco has a lovely sweet flavor. On this pizza, the florets star alongside the gooey stracciatella and the spice of Calabrian chili for a perfect—and healthy—pizza.

Serves 2

Sea salt to taste

1 bunch broccolini, stems trimmed

Flour, for dusting

1 recipe pizza dough, room temperature

¼ pound fresh stracciatella

½ teaspoon thinly sliced Calabrian chili

½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Freshly cracked black pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 500°F.

2. Bring a pot of salted water to boil over high heat. Prepare an ice bath: fill a medium bowl with ice and cold water and set aside.

3. Once the water reaches a boil, add the broccolini and blanch until it turns a vibrant green and you can pierce the stems easily with a paring knife, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the broccolini and plunge in the ice bath. Drain, pat dry, roughly chop, and set aside.

4. On a lightly floured surface, stretch the pizza dough according to the method here. Place the dough on a lightly floured sheet pan.

5. Tear the stracciatella into small pieces by hand and sprinkle evenly over the pizza, then sprinkle broccolini on top. Finish with the sliced chilis and a swirl of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.

6. Cook the pizza until the crust turns golden brown, approximately 15 minutes.

7. Remove the pizza from the oven. Serve immediately.