Zucchini-Crust-Vegetarian-Pizza-Recipe

Zucchini-Crust Vegetarian Pizza Recipe

Ingredients

Crust Ingredients:

  • 4 cups grated then chopped fresh zucchini (one large zucchini about a foot long, or several smaller ones)
  • 1/2 cup finely grated low-fat Mozzarella blend
  • 5 T almond meal
  • 3 T finely grated Parmesan
  • 1 tsp. dried Greek or Turkish oregano
  • 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 egg, beaten

Sauce Ingredients:

  • 1 can (14.5 oz.) good quality petite diced tomatoes, drained
  • 1 T olive oil, divided
  • 2 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
  • salt and pepper to taste

Pizza Toppings:

  • 3 oz. part-skim fresh Mozzarella, sliced and then pulled apart into chunks
  • 10-15 large fresh basil leaves

Instructions

  1. Preheat the grill or oven to 450F/230C.
  2. Grate zucchini, using a food processor or the large side of a hand grater, then chop the grated zucchini. Place the chopped zucchini in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for about 5 minutes. Then drain the cooked zucchini into a colander that’s lined with cheesecloth or a kitchen towel. Let zucchini drain until it’s cool enough to handle.
  3. While the zucchini cools, make the tomato sauce. First, drain the tomatoes into a colander placed in the sink. While the tomatoes drain, chop the garlic, heat half the olive oil in a very small frying pan, and saute garlic just until it’s fragrant. Add the drained tomatoes and Italian seasoning and let the sauce simmer on very low heat until the crust is done.
  4. When zucchini is cool, squeeze out as much water as you can and place the zucchini in a bowl. Add the finely grated Mozzarella, almond meal, Parmesan, dried oregano, garlic powder, salt, and beaten egg and stir until the ingredients are combined.
  5. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil or nonstick spray and divide the crust mixture into two balls. Use your fingers to press out the crust mixture into two circles, being careful not to make the edges too thin (or they will burn). Bake crust on a pizza stone (on a covered grill or in the oven) just until the crust is firm and starting to brown (about 12-13 minutes.) You can also bake this in the oven without a pizza stone, but it will take a little longer to cook.
  6. Spread each small pizza with half the sauce, then top with half the basil leaves and half the fresh Mozzarella chunks. Put pizzas back into the oven or on the grill and cook just until the cheese is nicely melted, about 3-5 minutes more. Serve hot.

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