I’m of two sides of the coin when it comes to how to prepare the perfect pizza. While I think nothing is better than a fresh pizza dough, made from scratch and perfectly seasoned and cooked on a pizza stone…I’m a gluten-free girl. And sometimes the gluten-free crusts made from scratch are a lot more hassle than they are worth. The different flours and techniques used to make the perfect pizza dough is just something I don’t have time for…at the moment.
So, if you have a fail-proof gluten-free pizza dough recipe…please…feel free to use it in this recipe. I am not there yet. However…I do know where to get some pretty fantastic gluten-free pizza shells to use…and for this pizza I turned to Rustic Crust Gluten-Free Napoli Herb Pizza Shell. It was the perfect choice for this pizza.
I mean, what says summer pizza more than summer squash and goat cheese? Very little. That’s right. So, when Food & Wine Magazine shared this recipe, I immediately knew I had to make it. As luck would have it, my CSA was delivering local summer squash in the bin to my door that week too. It was perfect. And this pizza…was one of the best I have ever tasted.
Recipe: Gluten-Free Summer Squash Pizza with Goat Cheese
Servings: 4-12 (depending on size of pizza crust)
Time: Prep 15 minutes; Cook 5-15 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- All-purpose flour, for dusting (if making own dough)
- 6 ounces pizza dough or 1 store-bought pizza crust/shell (I used a store-bought gluten-free crust)
- Pinch of crushed red pepper
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 small onion, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup shredded part-skim-milk mozzarella (I used non-dairy cheese shreds for my half of the pizza)
- 1 teaspoon chopped summer savory (I used or 1/2 teaspoon thyme and 1/2 teaspoon oregano)
- 1/4 pound summer squash, thinly sliced on a mandoline
- 2 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled
- 2 tablespoons chopped toasted walnuts (optional)
Directions:
In a small bowl, combine the 1 tablespoon of olive oil with the minced garlic and let stand.
If making your own dough: Preheat the oven to 500°. Preheat a pizza stone. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough to form a 12-inch round, 1/4 inch thick. Transfer the round to a lightly floured pizza peel.
Once your dough is ready or if you are using a store-bought crust/shell:
Leaving a 1/2-inch border of dough, brush the round with the garlic oil and sprinkle with crushed red pepper, salt and black pepper.
Scatter the onion slices over the round; top with the mozzarella and savory.
Arrange the squash slices on top in a single layer, overlapping them slightly.
Dot with the crumbled goat cheese.
Slide the pizza onto the hot stone and bake for about 5 minutes, until the bottom is crisp and the squash is slightly browned. Transfer the pizza to a work surface. Sprinkle with the walnuts, if using, and drizzle with olive oil.
Cut into wedges and serve.
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I didn’t use the walnuts on my pizza because I didn’t think they were necessary to the recipe. Granted, I may try this again using the walnuts to see if it adds anything to it. I know walnuts seem like an odd topping for a pizza, but I use them all the time on my Meditenuttian Pizza and it is amazing what they can add to the dish. I simply…forgot this last time, working this recipe from memory.
Again, feel free to make your own dough. I wish I had a good recipe that I could use to make my own pizza dough. Sometimes that perfect flour mixture is just an experiment away. Maybe in the coming weeks I’ll play around with what I have in my pantry and see if I can make something work. But for people like me…or if you simply don’t have time, something straight out of the store (shelf or frozen) will work just as well.
The flavors of the squash, the onion, the garlic, the red pepper…they all work so well in combination with the salty tang of goat cheese and mozzarella. This pizza is perfect for the summer. Light. Crispy. Delicious.
You know you’re craving pizza now. So use what’s in season and do it proud.
The Celiathlete 