I have to admit, I was skeptical going into this recipe but I’ve been hearing a lot about using cauliflower as a pizza crust so I had to give it a try. To my surprise, it tasted pretty good. Everyone who tried it gave it a thumbs up! The cauliflower comes together to create a soft “crust” and by using traditional pizza toppings, it does resemble pizza. You can cut it into pizza slices but it was a little too soft to hold the entire slice in your hand so we ate it with a fork. No matter, it was delicious and I would definitely make it again.
Pizza with a Cauliflower Crust
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 head of cauliflower (stalks removed)
- 1/3 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 eggs (lightly beaten)
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (I highly recommend this step because I didn’t have parchment paper and the pizza did stick to the pan). Break cauliflower into florets and pulse in a food processor until it resembles rice. Spread cauliflower onto a sheet of paper towels. Top with another layer of paper towels and press gently to remove some of the moisture. In a bowl, combine the cauliflower with all of the crust ingredients, mozzarella cheese through eggs. Transfer cauliflower mixture on to the lined baking sheet and spread it out (it will almost cover the surface of the baking sheet). Bake for about 20 minutes until it begins to brown and it seems dry to the touch. Top with your favorite pizza sauce and a sprinkle of cheese. Place under the broiler for a few minutes until cheese melts. Sprinkle with chopped fresh basil.
Note: Some recipes call for cooking the “riced” cauliflower first, mixing it with the crust ingredients and then baking it. I decided not to cook the cauliflower first, it seemed like an unnecessary step, but it is an option.
Nutrition Note: By not using a flour-based dough for the crust, this pizza is a very light alternative to traditional pizza and each slice provides you with a serving of vegetables (assuming a 1/2 cup serving). One huge nutritional benefit is that cauliflower is in the cruciferous family of vegetables. To help reduce cancer risk, the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) recommends that we eat cruciferous vegetables several times per week. Other cruciferous vegetables include broccoli, kale, brussel sprouts, cabbage and arugula.
JudyMatusky.com
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