A surprisingly easy and tasty concoction! Fantastic way to sneak in some vegetables and replace the gluten if you so desire. It is different from real pizza crust, as it does not possess the doughy and soft texture. However this will likely win you over if you prefer thin-crust pizza – just ensure that you bake the cauliflower crust until very set and crisp! This dish is also less laboursome than making a ‘real’ pizza from scratch – no need to knead the dough and place it aside for the yeast to let it rise, etc. Enjoy!
Ingredients (makes one pizza or 3 servings)
Crust
- Olive oil cooking spray
- 1 small head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into florets
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup shredded part skim mozzarella (2oz)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Toppings:
- 1/2 cup no-sugar-added marinara sauce
- 1 cup shredded part skim mozzarella (4oz)
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
- 1/4 cup fresh basil or oregano leaves
Directions
- Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly spray with olive oil spray.
- Place the cauliflower in a food processor and rice it – pulse until its texture resembles rice. Work in batches if needed. You should get 2 heaping measuring cups of riced cauliflower, about 280 grams (10oz).
- In a medium bowl, mix the riced cauliflower, eggs, mozzarella, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
- Transfer the mixture to the center of the prepared baking sheet and use a spatula to press it into a thin 10-inch circle. Try to even it out so that it’s all the same thickness.
- Bake until golden brown and very set (so that edges can be gently lifted up from the baking sheet without the circle falling apart), 40-45 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven. This is what the crust looks like when baked:
- Switch to broil, set on high. With a spatula, spread the tomato sauce on top of the cauliflower crust. Sprinkle the cheeses on top. Return the pizza to the oven and broil until the cheese is bubbly and browned in spots, 2-3 minutes (leave the oven door ajar and watch it carefully so it doesn’t burn)
- Scatter the herbs on top of the baked pizza, cut into triangles using a pizza cutter, and serve.
Nutrition (per 1/3 of pizza)
- Calories: 383
- Total Fat: 25.7 g
- Total Carbohydrate: 7.5 g
- Dietary Fiber: 1.8 g
- Protein: 30.5 g