I miss pizza. It’s been 9 years since I’ve bitten into a hot and cheesy slice of Papa John’s. I guess you could say I’m going on decade of pizzalessness…

This weekend my boyfriend Jaan finally brought the words dough, crust and toppings back into my life. We made a Cauliflower Pizza. It was Gluten-free, Vegan, Paleo and Whole 30… but don’t let that scare you.. This pie packed a flavor punch! Everyone who tried our Cauliflower Pizza loved it and I know you will too!

Cauliflower Pizza Dough (recipe inspired by @edgarraw)

2 cups of shredded cauliflower (I shredded my own with a zucchini noodler)
4 tbsp of Bob’s Red Mill Chia Seeds
8 tbsp of water
½ a cup of Bob’s Red Mill Almond Meal Flour
½ a cup of Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Whole Grain Oat Flour
2 tbsp of Bob’s Red Mill Nutritional Yeast

3 tbsp of garlic powder
1 tbsp of Himalayan pink sea salt
1 tbsp of black pepper

1. Take 4 tbsp of chia seeds and add 8 tbsp of water to a bowl, mix well and let it sit for 5-7 minutes
2. Take a large bowl and add all your crust ingredients and knead with your hands until formed into a dough
3. Take your cauliflower dough and form into a pizza crust, about ¼ or ⅓ of an inch thick and bake for 35ish minutes on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Baking time will vary depending on oven and thickness of pizza, so just keep an eye on it and pull out when golden brown
4. Once fully baked, lay the crust on a cooling rack and cool for 30 minutes to let the crust firm up
5. After cooling, add Pistachio Pesto and Roasted Veggies (see below) and put back into the oven until pesto and veggies are hot
6. Add final toppings (see below for balsamic reduction) and serve hot

Pistachio Pesto

3 medium cloves garlic, peeled
2/3 cup roasted, salted pistachios
4 loosely packed cups zesty baby greens (baby arugula + kale work great)

2 cups basil
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper
1/3 – 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Place garlic in a food processor (or Vitamix) and pulse until minced. Add the pistachios and pulse until mixture is well blended but still has texture. Add in the baby greens, basil,  lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.  Pulse to combine until greens are incorporated. Pulse the processor while adding in 1/3 cup olive oil until you reach pesto consistency. Don’t be afraid to add or subtract certain ingredients to taste or to thicken/thin out your pesto!

Balsamic Reduction (the game changer)

A simple technique that gives you a great sweet and tangy sauce that can be drizzled over anything. I used balsamic vinegar of modena. Add one cup of balsamic vinegar to a pan on low to medium-low heat. As the balsamic begins to bubble, stir, continue repeating this process of stirring and waiting for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, your balsamic vinegar will have thickened up into a delicious sauce!

Toppings

Roast Veggies (I chose broccolini, butternut squash and asparagus) on 350 for 20 min with sea salt and olive oil. Then add toppings to pizza before the last oven pass. Then add fresh herbs (I chose dill and basil). Lastly, drizzle balsamic reduction on top.

*Flip tip: If you need to flip your crust over for any reason place between two solid items (ie cutting board and cookie sheet) and turn over to avoid breaking the crust.