Kevin Hansen
I make pizza for my family every week, but I prefer not to eat pizza by itself. To me, the perfect pizza side dish must contain vegetables—both for health reasons and for texture variety. I love pizza crust as much as anyone, but I don’t need bread sticks to go with it!
Now that you know my stance on this divisive issue, here are four vegetable-based side dishes I make regularly that go well with just about any type of pizza.
#1. Burrata and chopped tomatoes
Time required: under 10 minutes.
When tomatoes are in season, this side dish delivers a welcome fresh brightness to any pizza-centric meal. I like to purchase heirloom tomatoes from my local farmer’s market, but any type of tomato will do as long as it’s high quality. Consider using a mix of red, orange, and yellow tomatoes if you’re really looking to impress.
As for the burrata, it can be purchased at an Italian specialty grocer near you if you have any trouble finding it at the regular grocery store. Burrata is made of mozzarella cheese with a firmer outside layer and a softer, creamy center. If you can’t find burrata, then it’s okay to use fresh mozzarella instead.
Instructions for burrata and chopped tomatoes
Place a ball of burrata cheese in the center of a serving plate. Chop fresh tomatoes into large, bite-sized chunks. Arrange the tomato chunks around the cheese. Drizzle the cheese and tomatoes with good olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Dust everything with flaky or kosher salt, grind some fresh black pepper over it, and finally sprinkle it with julienned basil.
#2. Insalata Nostrana
Time required: 15 minutes (longer if you’re making your own croutons or soaking the radicchio)
Nostrana is an Italian restaurant in Portland, Oregon that has been nominated for a James Beard award six times. It might be my favorite Italian restaurant. Nostrana makes fabulous pizza, but my favorite thing on their menu isn’t a pizza at all—it’s a salad. Well, Nostana calls it a salad, but it contains so much cheese that naming it a “salad” feels a tad dishonest!
I had begun reverse-engineering this legendary salad for my own benefit when I discovered that Nostrana’s owner Cathy Whims has generously given away the recipe already! I have made this salad at home many times since, but I still order it whenever I go to Nostrana or its sister restaurant Oven & Shaker.
Insalata Nostrana is made with radicchio, also known as Italian chicory. Radicchio is a lovely burgundy color and is slightly bitter and spicy. Copious salty parmesan cheese in this salad counteracts these strong flavors, but you can also soak the radicchio leaves in ice water for a couple of hours to cut the bitterness, as explained in the recipe.
Do yourself a gigantic favor and make some Insalata Nostrana the next time you make pizza at home.
#3. Caesar salad
Time required: 25 minutes
As much as I adore Insalata Nostrana, I admit that it’s not for everyone. Radicchio’s bitter flavor can be off-putting to some people, especially children. If you want to make a salad to go with pizza for a large and varied group of people, I’d recommend sticking to the classic Caesar salad as a safer choice than the Insalata Nostrana. (But if you have the ability to make both salads, then by all means, make both!)
Molly Baz has a great recipe for a classic Caesar salad that’s quick to throw together. And it you don’t want to put in the time, just toss some romaine with your favorite store-bought Caesar dressing.
#4. Roasted broccoli with lemon and pepitas
Time required: 30 minutes
Roasted broccoli is the go-to side dish for many meals in my house, and it’s nice with pizza, too. Purchase broccoli by the head or—to save time—buy a bag of florets, and you can have this dish ready with minimal effort.
Instructions for roasted broccoli with lemon and pepitas
Set your oven to roast at 425° F (use the convection setting if you have it). While the oven is heating, you can do the rest of the preparation. Chop the broccoli into florets. Remove the tough exterior of any bits of stem that you plan to roast. Toss the florets and stem pieces with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread them out on a sheet pan. Make sure that the pan isn’t too crowded so that the broccoli roasts nicely instead of steaming.
Put the sheet pan in the oven for 18-20 minutes. Keep an eye on it near the end since every oven is a little different. Cook times will vary slightly. While it’s roasting, pour some pepitas (pumpkin seeds) into a dry skillet and gently toast them until lightly browned and fragrant. Put the toasted pepitas in a serving bowl. When the broccoli is done roasting, pour it into the serving bowl along with the pepitas. Squeeze some lemon over the top and give it a mix. Add salt to taste. Lastly, shower the broccoli with freshly-grated parmesan cheese.
Have you tried any of these side dishes?
What did you think? Let me know in the comments!
