Who doesn’t like a nice, hot slice of ‘za!?
Zippy sauce, melted cheese, sliced pepperoni (or whichever topping(s) you prefer, all on top of a tasty, thin crust of…
cauliflower?
Yep, a bit of cauliflower, a clove of garlic, some cheese, an egg… it’s pretty simple to toss together, actually very tasty, and, if you don’t tell that fussy eater, I doubt they’re gonna be asking what’s with the ‘crust’.
INGREDIENTS
•1/2 head cauliflower, chopped
•1 clove garlic
•1 large egg, lightly beaten
•1-1/4 cup shredded Mozzarella
•2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
•1/4 tsp black pepper
•1/4 tsp Aleppo pepper
•1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
•2 tsp butter, melted and cooled a bit
•Pizza sauce (I used Trader Joe’s)
•Pepperoni
•1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
•Shredded Mozzarella
•Parmesan
Note: there is no salt called for in this recipe, because I think the cheeses and other toppings add enough that additional is not needed. On my first try with this recipe, I did add 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the cauliflower, and we thought the finished ‘za! just a tad too salty. You do what you like.
Line a rimmed baking sheet or pizza stone with parchment paper, and preheat your oven to 425º – there’s no need to preheat your pizza stone.
Chop the cauliflower and add to the bowl of a food processor with the clove of garlic. Pulse until you have fine cauliflower (and garlic) crumbles – about two cups total.
Place in a large bowl and microwave for seven to eight minutes, or until soft. Remove from the microwave, turn into a sieve to drain, and set aside to cool.
Melt the butter in the ‘wave and set aside.
Mix the egg, one cup mozzarella, parmesan cheese, and peppers into the cooled cauliflower/garlic blend. Once combined, pat into a nine-inch round on the prepared pizza pan. I used the ring from a spring-form pan as my guide.
Brush lightly with the melted butter, and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden – I gave mine 15 minutes, but on thinking about the second bake, next time I’ll go down to 11 minutes or so. Remove from oven and let rest for 20 minutes. You don’t have to do this rest bit, but Rich was on a business call and I figured it couldn’t hurt the crust to rest a bit before topping and the big finish.
Top the pizza with the sauce, 1/4 cup mozzarella, pepperoni, and red pepper flakes – OR – whatever toppings you prefer. Some recipes I came across went with chunks of tomato, fresh basil leaves, baby Mozzarella, and a drizzle of olive oil and/or balsamic vinegar.
Return to the oven for another 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Remove from the oven, transfer to a cutting board (you never cut on your pizza stone), cut into whichever size slices you prefer – four worked for us – and serve.
My nine-inch ring form made just enough ‘za! for the two of us for dinner; if you have more folk to feed (or a bigger appetite, by all means use a whole head of cauliflower and double the recipe – mebbe making a rectangular ‘za! in a 13×9 pan.