Friday, January 29, 2010

GF Pizza on Zucchini Crust


I tried making a gluten free pizza crust recipe a while back and was not impressed. At all. So, my sister mentioned in passing that she used to make a crust out of zucchini, and I thought I would see what I could come up with. I researched several sites and found some recipes for zucchini crusts, but they were not all gluten free, nor were they as simple as I wanted to make mine. Here is what I ended up with:

Zucchini Crust:
about 2 cups grated zucchini w/ peel (I had 4-5 small squash)
about 1 cup shredded Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
2 whole eggs
pinch of salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder or a pressed clove of garlic (optional)

Mix all ingredients together and spread thin on an oiled (olive oil) pizza stone--I used a stoneware bar pan by Pampered Chef, but I suppose you could use another type of pan. Bake at 400 degrees for about 35 minutes or until lightly browned. Watch it carefully as you don't want to burn it, but you do want it cooked well so it will hold its shape.

Remove from oven and top with:
Marinara sauce*
slices of uncured turkey pepperoni
diced chicken sausage
pieces of red onion
sliced fresh mushrooms
grated cheese (try different types of cheese and grate them together including raw cheddar, more Parmigiano Reggiano, and other Italian flavored cheeses. There is one at Whole foods made with sun dried tomatoes and garlic that is fabulous!)
(or your favorite toppings--this was just what I had on hand)

(*I used a jar of organic tomato paste mixed with a whole large clove of garlic and some Italian seasoning--heat through on the stove and allow to set while making the rest of the pizza. The tinny taste that often comes with canned tomato paste was absent, and the sauce was just enough for one large pizza.)

Return to oven and bake for about 10 minutes, until cheese is lightly browned and bubbly.
This pizza does not reheat well so only make as much as you will eat. This was a really REALLY good pizza, and I will certainly make it again!


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