Mushroom and Fennel Pizza with Parmesan and Cream

This mushroom and fennel pizza is great in spring and fall, when it's chilly outside and earthy aromas waft through the air.

It came to my attention at a recent cooking class that, as a pizza blogger, I have been drastically under-serving the mushroom-loving population. So, to all you fungi-aficionados, here's the pizza for you. This mushroom and fennel pizza is a flavor-bomb of earthy, mineraly mushrooms brightened with the citrus notes of fennel and tarragon and mellowed with cream and Parmesan cheese.

Looking for more mushroom pizzas? Here are more recipes to try:

• Mushroom and Brie Pizza
• Oyster Mushroom Pizza with Paprika and Chives
• Chicken, Mushroom, and Sage Pizza
• Stinky 'Shroom Pizza with Leeks and Funky Cheese

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Mushroom and Fennel Pizza with Parmesan and Cream

This flavor bomb pizza is packed with earthy mushrooms, herbaceous fennel and tarragon, salty parmesan cheese, and fresh cream.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Total Time25 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian, Mediterranean

Keyword: Fall Pizza, fennel, mushrooms, parmesan, vegetarian, white pizza

Makes: 1 (12- to 14-inch) pizza

Cost: $15

Equipment

• Cutting board and knife
• Skillet
• Rolling pin (optional)
• Large rimmed baking sheet or baking stone/steel
• Pizza peel (optional)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 shallot, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 10 ounces cremini or Baby Bella mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (14- to 16-ounce) ball pizza dough
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing the dough
• ½ medium fennel bulb, very thinly sliced
• ¾ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 500°F (if using a baking sheet) or as high as it will go (if using a baking stone/steel; place the stone/steel in the bottom third of the oven before you start preheating). Let the oven preheat for at least 30 minutes. Then, if you’re using a baking stone or steel, switch the oven to Broil on high.
• Melt the butter in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and sauté just until it has softened, then add the mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until they are tender and have released their liquid. Remove the skillet from the heat and season the mushrooms with salt and pepper to taste.
• Stretch or roll out your dough to a 12- to 14-inch circle, then transfer it to an oiled or parchment-lined baking sheet or a lightly floured pizza peel (if using a baking stone/steel).
• Brush the dough lightly with olive oil, making sure to get all the way to the edges. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the mushrooms to the dough and spread them out, then scatter on the fennel and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Drizzle the cream evenly over top.
• Transfer the pizza to the oven and bake/broil until the crust is golden and the cheese has browned in spots—8 to 10 minutes on the baking sheet, 6 to 8 minutes on the baking stone/steel.
• Remove the pizza from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes, then sprinkle on the tarragon and finish with a pinch of salt and a grind or two of black pepper. Slice and serve.