Calzone pizza with roasted vegetables and pesto

Calzone pizza with roasted vegetables and pesto

Roasted vegetable calzone
  • Low phosphate
  • Low potassium
  • Low salt
  • Vegetarian
  • Main meal
  • European
  • 2 hours or less
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This recipe serves 4 and also makes enough dough to make a second batch of 4 calzones at a later date.

Chef

Lewis Cole
Lewis Cole

This folded pizza is a kidney-friendly twist on a classic comfort food, but lower in salt, potassium and phosphate.

Ingredients

Dough

900g grade 00 flour (or strong white bread flour)

7g sachet dried active yeast

550ml tepid water

Filling

500–700g bag of frozen Mediterranean-style roasting vegetables

200g pack grated mozzarella

Pesto

2x 30g bags of fresh basil, large stems removed

50 ml olive oil

2 garlic cloves, peeled

40g parmesan, grated

Pinch of black pepper

Method

  1. Step 1

    Dough: In a large bowl, mix the flour and yeast, add 550ml tepid water and bring together using a wooden spoon. Once you have a smooth dough, pour the mixture out onto a clean worktop and knead for 15 minutes. Place it back into the bowl and leave to rest for 10 minutes, then knead again for 30 seconds and divide the dough equally into 8 balls.

  2. Step 2

    Roll each portion of dough into a smooth ball, then place on an oven tray, leaving enough room for the balls to expand (at this stage you can individually wrap in cling film and freeze any dough you don’t need until your next pizza session). Cover the dough balls with cling film or a damp cloth and leave to prove for at least an hour in a warm part of your kitchen.

  3. Step 3

    Calzone: Pre-heat the oven to 200°C / 180°C fan / gas mark 6. Place the frozen vegetables on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper and roast in the oven for 20 minutes or until nicely cooked. Stir them halfway through the cooking time to ensure they are evenly cooked.

  4. Step 4

    Put the pesto ingredients into a bowl and whizz up with a stick blender until smooth. Alternatively, chop the basil and garlic very finely and mix with the oil, grated parmesan and black pepper.

  5. Step 5

    Cut 4 large squares of greaseproof paper big enough to construct your calzone on (roughly 12-inch or 30cm square) and get 4 of the proved dough balls. Use a rolling pin or stretch out your dough by hand to a roughly 10-inch or 25cm circle and lay out on a piece of the greaseproof paper. Spoon on a layer of pesto, then – on one half of the dough – sprinkle some of your roasted vegetables and grated cheese, fold the dough over making a semi-circle, push down on the edges with your fingertips then crimp like a Cornish pasty or use a fork to seal it tightly.

  6. Step 6

    With an oven glove, carefully pull out an oven rack from the hot oven, slide the sealed calzone (on the greaseproof paper) off the worktop onto the rack, return to the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. Once cooked, remove from the oven and leave to cool for 5 minutes, then enjoy!

Food facts

Serving sizes are based on adult portions. Here is a guide for children:

Toddler (age 1-4): ¼ adult portion

Young child (age 5-9): ½ adult portion

Older child (age 10-13): ¾ adult portion

Teenagers (14+): 1 adult portion

Some children do have bigger appetites than others. Your child’s portion may need to be changed to fit their typical diet if you think the recommended serving sizes are too large or small. We would advise speaking with your dietitian prior to increasing the serving size if your child has struggled to manage potassium or phosphate.

The flour is the main source of carbohydrate in this recipe, and the value has been provided for those who have been trained in insulin adjustment.

For those needing to increase calories in their meals, try drizzling olive oil over the dough before cooking – or again, just before serving, for extra calories.

This recipe gives you some protein, which helps your body stay strong. If you need to eat more protein, try to choose other meals in the day that also have protein. But if you need to eat less protein, then pick low-protein foods for your other meals.

Despite the use of some high potassium ingredients, such as tomatoes and roasted vegetables, this recipe is low in potassium, when following the quantities in the ingredients, and the serving sizes. Therefore, suitable for those advised to eat less potassium. This recipe is also low in phosphate, however it does contain some phosphate, mainly provided by the flour and cheese, therefore if you have been prescribed a phosphate binder you should take as directed.

Use vegan cheese to make this recipe vegan.

This calzone is a tasty treat, but it’s still important to enjoy it as part of a balanced diet. You could make it a little healthier by using a bit less cheese, sharing a portion with someone else, or adding a side salad or extra vegetables. If you’re watching your calorie intake, balance this meal with lighter choices at other meals.

Strong white bread flour can be used as an alternative to 00 grade flour if preferred. 00 grade flour is very fine flour that is perfect for pizza dough.

If you have time, it can be cheaper to make your own roasted vegetables, by chopping and roasting fresh vegetables. (Use approximately 1 pepper, 1 courgette, ½ an aubergine, 1 onion, and a little oil depending on your preferences.)

Once cooked and cooled, this recipe can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge and reheated the following day.

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