How to Make Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Last weekend I spent visiting my family in Iowa City. I stayed with my mom, aunt, and uncle at my Grandma’s house and we spent Friday evening creating (and devouring) a plethora of pizza and enjoying copious amounts of wine. Between the five of us, we polished off almost all three pizzas, each showcasing a different set of toppings.

The first pizza including sun dried tomatoes, chicken, mozzarella, spinach, tomatoes, Parmesan, pesto, and bay leaves.

The second pizza was a fig & goat cheese pizza with pine nuts.

The third pizza was half quarto formaggi and half margarita.

The best part? These are all Gluten Free! The crust is made from cauliflower. It’s a bit time consuming if you only making for yourself but well worth the time and effort. I’ve included the recipe below that we used to create our pizzas!

Ingredients:

Nonstick spray
2 1/2 cups cauliflower, grated (about 1/2 a large head)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 cloves garlic, sliced
Toppings of Choice (basil, tomatoes, pine nuts, sun dried tomatoes, figs, goat cheese, mozzarella, Parmesan, basil, spinach, etc.)
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper

Steps:

There are two ways to cook the cauliflower rice – on the stove-top or in the microwave. To cook on the stove-top, fill a large pot with an inch of water and bring it to a boil. Then, add the cauliflower rice, cover the pot, and let it cook for about 4 to 5 minutes – draining it into a fine-mesh strainer afterward.

To cook in the microwave, place the rice cauliflower in a microwave-safe bowl and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, let cool after but fluffing the rice every so often.

After straining the cauliflower rice, transfer to a clean, thin dishtowel and twist the towel around the rice to get all the excess moisture out – or, pat the rice firmly with paper towels until all the excess moisture is gone. There’s a surprising amount of moisture in there, but it’ll be worth it to make sure the crust is dry.

First preheat oven to 425ºF.

1. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper

2. Mix the cooked and drained cauliflower with the egg, one cup mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper. Once combined, pat into a 10-inch round on the prepared pizza pan.

3. Spray lightly with nonstick spray and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden.

4. Add toppings, garlic, and salt and pepper for taste.

5. Bake in the oven until melted and bubbly, another 10 minutes.

Bon Appétit!

Recipe found here.