Remember when I made a Garden Surplus Pizza to use up my first big harvest of summer squash? Well, soon after that, the squash plant had completely swallowed my garden bench and we were eating the stuff almost every night in salads, breads, sautés, and stir-fries. You might say this summer squash pizza crust was perfected out of desperation . . . or squash exhaustion.
If you're looking for a gluten-free summer squash pizza crust, simply sub in gluten-free flour for the regular all-purpose. And if you have fresh mint or other herbs, feel free to use them instead of the basil.
The texture of this crust is light yet substantial, kind of like the bottom of a perfectly cooked frittata. It holds together well and can support a few good toppings, but you'll miss out on its distinct flavor if you pile on too much. Try it with garlicky roasted tomatoes and crumbled fresh chèvre (as pictured) or olive tapenade and feta cheese.
Summer Squash Pizza Crust
Equipment
- colander
- Pizza pans or large rimmed baking sheet(s)
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- 2 pounds zucchini or summer squash, grated (about 6 cups)
- 1½ teaspoons fine sea salt, divided
- ½ cup all-purpose flour or 1-to-1 All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour blend
- ¾ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet or pizza pan with parchment paper.
- Line a colander with a clean kitchen towel, place the shredded squash inside, and toss with 1 teaspoon of the salt. Set the colander in the sink and let it drain for 20 to 30 minutes. Gather up the sides of the towel and squeeze as much liquid as possible out of the squash.
- When you can't squeeze any more liquid out of the squash, transfer it to a medium bowl along with the flour, parmesan, eggs, basil, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Mix with your hands until well combined. Turn the dough out onto the prepared baking sheet or pizza pan and use your fingers to press it out evenly into a disk about 1/2 inch thick and 10 to 12 inches in diameter.
- Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes or until it is golden brown, then sprinkle on your toppings and bake 5 more minutes or until the cheese has melted.
- Remove the pizza from the oven; slice and serve.
I made this over the weekend and it was delicious! I had some roasted spaghetti squash, so used about 2 cups of squash, 2/3 cup GF flour blend, 1/4 cup grated Parm cheese, 2 eggs, and a variety of spices that like basil, Italian blend, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper {enough to make the crust not taste like an egg quiche}. I blended it all up by hand into a fluffy batter. Spread it into a cast iron pan and baked at 410* for 17 minutes. Added toppings and baked again for about 10 minutes (until the pepperoni 'looked' done). It was delicious! Thank you for the suggestion. I'm not a fan of a cauliflower crust as it still tastes like the veg.
Yum--that sounds awesome!
Looks like a great