Arugula Prosciutto Cauliflower Pizza

This cauliflower crust is a guiltless, nutritious and delicious alternative for pizza night and it’s so easy to make. For a fresh-tasting cauliflower pizza, top it with arugula, prosciutto, red onions and shaved Parmesan. If using traditional pizza toppings, place sauce and cheese on a baked crust and return the pizza to a preheated oven for 5 to 10 minutes to melt the cheese. This recipe can be made egg-free; see instructions. For a paleo crust, use ¼ cup almond flour instead of the sorghum flour or brown rice flour.

In a Hurry? When there’s no time for homemade, try readymade gluten-free cauliflower pizza crusts from Cali’flour or Caulipower.

For Egg-Free Arugula Prosciutto Cauliflower Pizza, omit 2 eggs. Combine 1 tablespoon psyllium husk powder with 2 to 3 tablespoons hot water, enough to mix well. (You can use the water squeezed from the cauliflower.) Let it cool. Use this mixture in step 5 to replace 2 eggs. If the crust isn’t crisp enough or the optional cheese hasn’t melted, return the pizza to preheated oven and bake an additional 8 to 10 minutes. Watch closely so it doesn’t burn.

Contributing chef Mary Capone is author of The Gluten Free Cookbook: Classic Cuisine from the Italian Countryside (The Wheat Free Gourmet Press) and founder of Bella Gluten-Free.

Ingredients

• 1 head of cauliflower, chopped fine, or 3-4 cups prepared cauliflower rice
• ½ cup mozzarella cheese or dairy-free cheese alternative, shredded
• 2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese or dairy-free cheese alternative + ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup sorghum flour, brown rice flour or almond flour
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon dried parsley or 1½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon dried basil
• 2 large eggs
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 cups fresh arugula, baby spinach or greens of choice
• 2-3 tablespoons gluten-free vinaigrette of choice
• 3 ounces prosciutto, shaved or sliced thin
• ¼ cup red onion, sliced thin
• ¼ cup shaved Parmesan cheese, optional

Directions

1Preheat oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet or pizza pan or line it with parchment paper.

2To make the cauliflower rice, wash, core and rough cut or break apart cauliflower head. Add florets to a food processor in 2 to 3 batches and pulse until they’re processed into a coarse meal, about 3 to 4 cups.

3Transfer cauliflower to a microwave-safe bowl, cover and microwave on high 4 minutes or until rice is soft. Let cool.

4This next step is very important for a crispy crust: Place cauliflower rice in cheesecloth or a clean dish towel and squeeze out the water. There is lots of water in cauliflower. Three cups of cooked cauliflower will yield 1 cup of water. Squeeze and squeeze and then squeeze some more. Then after a short hand rest, squeeze one more time. The end result should be a dry cauliflower paste.

5Transfer paste to a clean bowl and add mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, sorghum flour, garlic powder, parsley, oregano, basil, eggs and salt. Stir until ingredients are well combined and form a dough.

6On prepared baking sheet, press dough into a 10x14-inch crust about ¼ inch thick. Pinch sides to create a rim.

7Place in preheated oven and bake 20 to 25 minutes or until a light golden brown.

8Toss fresh arugula with your favorite gluten-free vinaigrette. Arrange on crust. Evenly distribute prosciutto slices, red onion and shaved Parmesan on crust.