Zucchini-Crusted Pizza

I'd been holding on to this recipe for months, waiting for zucchini season to roll around. Zucchini-crusted pizza? So intriguing! I imagined the traditional bready crust with bits of zucchini poking through.

It turned out to be much different--which I would have realized if I had actually, you know, read the recipe before I started. What a concept!

It was more akin to a quiche. A quiche with pizza toppings. I know, right? The ingredients were simple:

Grated zucchini +	beaten eggs +
flour +	grated mozzarella + parmesan

We also added some fresh basil. I spread the batter into a tart pan, but a pie pan would work equally well.


We baked it around half an hour until golden brown. Then squinted a bit at the finished product, decided, "Sure, why not use it as a pizza crust," covered with our favorite toppings and returned to the oven until cheese was melted and the toppings were heated through.

It may not have been what I was expecting, but it was tasty. Much richer than our usual pizzas, to be sure. But it definitely worked a lot of zucchini into our meal and even earned The Boy's seal of approval!

Recipe below; printable version here.

ZUCCHINI-CRUSTED PIZZA

olive oil and flour for the pan
2 cups (packed ) grated zucchini (about 2 7-inchers)
2 eggs, beaten (fine to delete one or both yolks)
¼ cup flour
½ cup grated mozzarella
½ cup grated parmesan
Optional: pinches of basil, marjoram, and/or rosemary
2 Tbs. olive oil

Preheat oven to 400. Generously oil a 10-inch pie pan and coat lightly with flour. (You can also use a jelly roll pan.)

Combine zucchini, eggs, flour, mozzarella, parmesan, herbs, and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a bowl and mix well.

Spread into the prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown. About halfway through the baking, brush with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil (optional). Remove from oven. When it has cooled for about 10 minutes, use a spatula to loosen the crust from the pan, so it won't break later.

Top with your favorite pizza items and bake at 400 until heated through.

From The New Moosewood Cookbook