3-Cheese Pesto Cauliflower Crust Pizza
To skip the post and step-by-step instructions and go straight to recipe, click here.If you’ve known me for long, you’d know that I’m not much of a “food substitutes” person. I like sugar where there should be sugar, butter where there should be butter, and bread where there should be bread.
However, about a month ago, my husband was struggling with a health issue and was recommended a temporary low starch diet - something I had never tried to do myself, let alone really heard of many others trying. Low carb, sure, but low starch? Was that basically the same thing, or not?
Well, I had to do a little research, but discovered that while low-carb and low-starch diets are very similar and have huge overlaps, carbs also include foods that aren’t necessarily high in starch, but in sugar or fibre. But, either way, I had to figure out some less starchy meals for our bread-loving little family.
One meal that’s a favorite of mine to make from scratch at home is pizza. I was raised eating homemade pizza what felt like once a week, and would even make it in my college dorm kitchen sometimes. I had heard of cauliflower crust pizza before, but never really had a reason to give it a try until now. But I had heard great things, so why not? Cauliflower is high in nutrients and antioxidants as well as being super versatile, so I had high hopes. Plus, no dough-rising time necessary! Score!
The first time I made it, I was shocked at how good it really was! It didn’t have any of the sulfuric taste that cauliflower can have sometimes, and was just cheesy, garlicky, herbaceous, and *insert delicious pizza-related words here*. Now, I will say, it’s not nearly similar enough to a classic pizza that people wouldn’t be able to tell the clear difference. That being said, it’s super delicious and I happily made and ate it multiple times during Dan’s short-termed diet. Which gave me just enough time to perfect my recipe, and now it’s ready to be made by you! Happy cooking!
Step-By-Step Walk-Through
If you’re feeling confident in your cooking skills and want to skip the walk-through, click here.
Step 1:
Cook Cauliflower
Chop 1 small cauliflower into chunks.
Chop into very small pieces in a food processor, blender, or by hand (food processor is the quickest and easiest way by far).
Microwave the cauliflower in a microwave-safe bowl at full power for 5 minutes to soften up and release liquid, stirring halfway through at 2 ½ minutes.
Place hot cauliflower in the refrigerator or freezer for a few minutes, just until cool enough to handle.
Step 2:
Make Crust
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Pour the cooked cauliflower into a cheesecloth or thin towel. Twist up the cheesecloth to form the cauliflower into a tight ball and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. The ball will end up being about half the size after the water is squeezed out.
Pour the dry cauliflower back into the bowl. Add 2 eggs, ½ teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of black pepper, ½ teaspoon chili flakes, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon dried oregano.
Mix well.
Line a pizza pan with parchment paper and press your crust mixture into a 12-inch circle, leaving a slight lip along the edge for the crust.
Bake for 15 minutes on the middle rack of the oven.
Step 3:
Top and Finish
Spread desired amount of pesto of your choice onto the crust.
Sprinkle on 2 cups of shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese and ½ cup of grated parmesan.
Measure out ¼ cup of ricotta cheese and place small dollops around the surface of the pizza.
Bake for another 10 minutes on the top rack of the oven until the cheese is fully melted and beginning to brown.
Chiffonade a few leaves of fresh basil and sprinkle on top, along with a little extra chili flakes.
3-Cheese Pesto Cauliflower Crust Pizza
Servings: 4-8 Time: 90 minutes
Difficulty: 🧡🧡🧡🤍🤍
Ingredients
1 small head of cauliflower
2 eggs
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon chili flakes, plus more for sprinkling on top
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon dried oregano
Pesto of your choice (if you’d like to make your own, try this recipe)
2 cups shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
¼ cup ricotta cheese
4-6 fresh basil leaves
Directions
Step 1: Cook Cauliflower
Chop cauliflower into medium-sized chunks. Use a food processor or high-powered blender (or do it by hand if necessary) to chop the cauliflower into tiny bits. Microwave the cauliflower in a microwave-safe bowl at full power, stirring once halfway through. Place the bowl of cauliflower in the freezer for a few minutes until cool enough to handle.
Step 2: Make Crust
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Pour the cooked cauliflower into a cheesecloth or thin towel and twist into a tight ball, squeezing out as much liquid as you can (the ball of cauliflower will be about half the size it was). Dump the squeezed cauliflower back into the bowl and add eggs, salt, black pepper, chili flakes, garlic powder, and oregano. Line a large pizza pan with a piece of parchment paper. Pour the mixture out onto the parchment and use a spoon to smooth it into an even 12-inch circle, leaving a slight lip on the edge for the crust. Bake for 15 minutes on the middle rack of the oven.
Step 3: Top and Finish
Spread your desired amount of pesto sauce on the crust. Sprinkle on the mozzarella and parmesan. Place dollops of the ricotta evenly around the surface of the pizza. Bake another 10 minutes on the top rack of the oven until the cheese is fully melted and slightly browned. Chiffonade the fresh basil leaves and sprinkle on top, along with some chili flakes.