Pizza. One of the world’s most loved suppers, right? I was thinking lately that its been ages since I’ve shared a pizza recipe. And for as much as I love pizza (seriously, I do!), I realized it was a bit crazy and I better get on it. And then this epic recipe was created.
I’d been intrigued by the concept of a leek puree for some time, and thought it could be the perfect twist on your typical pizza sauce. Once I finished it, I was totally sold: think creamy, whipped and light – all the characteristics of this sauce. It’s subtle in flavor, but has just the right amount of depth that allows for the stronger, more prominent flavors of the combination of toppings here to shine through.
Actually, feel free to double the batch because this sauce is delicious paired with so many things! Biting into the pizza when it came hot out of the oven was really delightful – the soft texture of the bread, paired with the velvety sauce and crunchy, caramelized toppings was kind of perfection, and we haven’t even talked about the cheese yet!
Basically, put this on your weekend “to cook” list. And, you know what? If you don’t have an inspirational weekend list then I’d encourage you to start one! It’s often hard to find time during the week to play in the kitchen, but if you’re anything like me, I’m the happiest person around if I have time to try new things and experiment. This recipe is a perfect one to try out.
Happy weekend, friends!
Roasted Cauliflower & Leek Pizza
Ingredients
Leek Sauce
- 3 leeks
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon chopped roasted onion
- 2 inch piece turmeric
Pizza Toppings
- 2 cups cauliflower florets cut to 1” pieces
- 1/2 onion quartered
- 1/2 cup mushrooms any variety
- 1/2 cup arugula
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- 1-2 tablespoons butter
- olive oil for finishing
- sea salt
Pizza Crust
- 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 4 cups + 3 tablespoons bread flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed coriander seed
Instructions
Leek Sauce
- Trim off the stem end of each leek. Cut off the dark grey stiff end all the way up until the point where it starts to turn white. Split the leeks lengthwise in half. Cut the split leeks crosswise into one-and-one half-inch lengths. Rinse thoroughly in cold water and drain. Put the leeks in a saucepan or kettle and add enough water to cover.
- Bring the water and leeks to a boil and then lower to a simmer, cover, and allow to cook for about 15 minutes or until tender. Drain thoroughly. You should end up with about about 2 cups loosely packed leeks.
- Put the leeks and olive oil into the container of a food processor or blender and puree until fine. Add garlic, sea salt, onion and turmeric. Blend until light and airy. Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to about 1 week.
- NOTE: Makes 1-2 cups puree.
Pizza Toppings
- Roast cauliflower florets and quartered onions for 10-15 minutes at 425 degrees or until barely turning brown ( they will finish browning when you finish roasting the entire pizza). To prepare the mushrooms, sauté in medium saucepan in 1-2 tbsp butter for 10-12 minutes or until lightly brown. Toss in thyme sprigs and set aside to cool.
- To assemble pizza, spread leek sauce ( amount to preference) over half baked crust. Top with mozzarella, then arugula, onion, mushrooms, and cauliflower, finishing with parmesan cheese. Finish with drizzle of olive oil and sea salt and place back in oven at 450 for 15-18 minutes or until the entire pizza and crust is lightly browned and the cheese is sizzling in the center. Enjoy!
- Store leftovers in the fridge in airtight container for up to 3-5 days or freeze.
Pizza Crust
- Make dough traditionally, or for ease, utilize the dough setting on your standard bread machine and add all ingredients in the order listed.
- Remove dough from machine, roll out on lightly floured surface to thickness preference. Add parchment paper to a pizza pan or baking sheet and lay dough on paper. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle of sea salt before baking. You’ll need to bake the crust partially before adding your topping at 450 for 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool while you prepare the pizza toppings.
- NOTE: Makes 1 large pizza crust + extra dough for 3 breadsticks.
