This pizza pie is, well, a slice of heaven! (pun intended) Technically a white pizza because of its lack of tomato sauce, I started with my favorite store-bought pizza dough, then topped it with olive oil, sliced garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, fresh mozzarella cheese and then some yummy sliced veggies. Zucchini and cremini mushrooms to be exact, as well as some briny black and green olives and some sweet fresh basil leaves. The beauty of homemade pizza has to do with its endless possibilities—have extra marinara sauce on hand? Slather it on! Have leftover roasted broccoli or asparagus? There are your veggie toppers! And a variety of cheese work well, too; not just fresh mozzarella, but ricotta, goat or even feta. In other words….get creative! Your taste buds and family with thank you.
(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)
Zucchini & Mushroom Pizza with Olives & Fresh Basil
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. fresh pizza dough (store bought or homemade)
- extra virgin olive oil
- crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
- salt and pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 4 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese
- 1 zucchini, thinly sliced, blanched in boiling water for 2 minutes, drained and cooled
- 4 oz. cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup pitted olives
- fresh basil
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Line a 9 to 10-inch round pizza pan with parchment paper; spray with olive oil spray. Roll out the pizza dough and press it into the greased pan. Drizzle 1 Tablespoon of olive oil over the dough and sprinkle on the sliced garlic and crushed red pepper flakes to taste. Tear or cut the round of cheese into several pieces and scatter on top of that. Next, arrange the zucchini slices, mushrooms, olives and fresh basil on top of the cheese, leaving about a 1-inch border of crust.
- Sprinkle everything with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a grinding of black pepper. Drizzle on a touch more olive oil, approximately 2 teaspoons.
- Bake on the middle rack in the preheated oven for 20-22 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the crust is lightly browned and puffed.
- Allow the pizza to cool for 10 minutes, then slice and serve warm.
Tagged: fresh basil, fresh herbs, fresh mozzarella, fresh mozzarella cheese, garlic, mushrooms, olive oil, olives, pitted olives, pizza, pizza dough, vegetarian pizza, zucchini, zucchini and mushroom pizza, zucchini and mushroom pizza with olives and fresh basil
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