Pesto Pizza on a Cauliflower Crust

Pizza is a glorious thing. At one time, I think I can safely say it was a staple of my diet. About once a week I would make pizza, with various vegetables on it. I don't make it quite so often anymore, but sometime I will share how I make regular, easy pizza dough. The dough in this recipe is only a little bit more complicated, but it is much healthier. As you can see, it uses cauliflower as a base. For some reason cauliflower has been a bit expensive at my grocery store, but this is still cheaper than pre-made or delivery pizza! 

original recipe via closetcooking.com 

Grocery list items:

Cauliflower 

shredded mozzarella

cherry/grape tomatoes 

spinach 

basil 

walnuts 

Aside from this pizza crust being healthy, it is also delicious and gluten free. Also, a word of caution: have a non-linty/fuzzy towel ready to help you squeeze out the water from the cauliflower. And be prepared to wash it right away. Cauliflower smell is no longer pleasant in a few hours.

You get a bonus recipe for pesto with this. I love pesto, and once again, it is super easy to make. Get out your blender or food processor, and you can make fresh, delicious pesto. Also, using spinach and walnuts helps to make this cheaper than using the traditional all-basil and pine nuts recipe. If you do want to use pine nuts, don't be lured in by the cheap pine nuts. They are imported from China, I think, and one time I ate them and it left a bitter taste in my mouth for days. And you wouldn't want to ruin your lovely cauliflower pizza! 

Pesto:

2 cups spinach

1 cup basil 

2 oz parmesan, cut small 

2 cloves garlic 

1 tbsp olive oil 

1/2 cup walnuts 

salt + pepper

You really can't go wrong here. Start with the spinach, basil, and oil. Process until it's very fine. Then add other ingredients, pulsing in between each ingredient. Feel free to taste and adjust until it's the way you want it. Add more cheese, or add more salt for a stronger, more savory flavor. Add more garlic or black pepper for more spice. Add more nuts or more spinach for milder pesto, and more basil for that herby flavor. And if it's more pieces than paste, add a bit more olive oil.  

Cauliflower Pizza Crust 

1 medium/large cauliflower, chopped 

1 egg 

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
handful baby spinach

1 tsp dried oregano 

salt + pepper

You should know, the more cauliflower here, the more dough you will get. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Start by ricing the cauliflower in the food processor, pulsing until it is in tiny pieces. Put the cauliflower in a big, microwave safe bowl, and microwave for about 8-10 min. Allow it to cool a bit, then pour it onto a dish towel. Squeeze as much water as you can out of the cauliflower, as this makes it more like flour and prevents your crust from getting soggy. Mix together cauliflower, egg, mozzarella, spinach leaves. and spices in a big bowl.

Spread the cauliflower crust out into a big pan using a rubber spatula. You can use parchment paper, or grease the pan and scatter with cornmeal (I never have parchment paper, but I learned my lesson about substituting wax paper). Bake the crust about 20 - 25 min.

When the crust is golden and a bit crispy, you can put on your toppings. Add the pesto, then some cheese, and halved tomatoes. Return it to the oven, and bake another 10 min or so, until the cheese is bubbly and  melted. You could also broil the pizza for 5-10 min. 

The possibilities are endless. Tomato sauce and cheese, white pizza, I can't wait to try again and get creative. I had to use a knife and fork to eat my pizza, so more baking time may be needed on the crust. Try it out!

Bonus variation: Potato and asparagus!

UPDATED: I know it's not a new recipe, but for now, I'm posting a fun variation on an old favorite - white pizza with mozzarella, parmesan, heirloom tomatoes and fresh basil. Perfect for summer, don't you agree?