Recipe Review: Cauliflower Pizza Crust (grain free)

I don't expect anyone to believe me at first when I tell you that this pizza crust - made mostly of cauliflower - tastes great.  I don't expect you to believe me for the obvious:  CAULIFLOWER don't-a make-a no pizza crust. (my ancestors are turning over in their Italian graves).  

But I also imagine you wouldn't believe me because of...well, ME.  I mean, I'm out there.  I know this about myself.  (Admission is the first step to recovery...) I'm "big fat" about things that are exciting to me.  You know, I use ALL CAPS about things that excite me: "THIS IS WONDERFUL!"  "IT TASTES AMAZING!"  

That being said, I AM truthful, I don't give compliments out freely about things that I think are just marginal. But, things I love are IN BIG FAT BOLD CAPS BECAUSE I ABSOLUTELY ADORE THEIR FABULOUSNESS!  Get the picture?

This is precisely the reason (one of the reasons) I married a mild mannered non-Italian, who I lovingly refer to as "the cracker".  He's low-key, laid back...you know, vanilla.  But, this is why his opinion on food (and other things) matters so much:  you can believe him.  He's not over the top. Nor would he be characterized as a "foodie" (crackers tend to like cracker food) but his opinion on food is thought out and honest.

So, pizza night.  I miss it terribly.  And I miss my favorite pizza joint, Pompeii Pizza (coal fired crust...sigh).  My daughter misses it too.  Then, I saw this lovely picture of "pizza" from Gluten Free Happy Tummy wherein the crust is made from cauliflower.  Her pics made my mouth water. I just couldn't believe it.  Until I tried it. 

I bought a couple of backup pizzas for hubby and son because I just knew they wouldn't go for the grain-free cauliflower-pizza thing I was trying for daughter and me.  Well, once it came out of the oven, my son was like, "Hey, can I try that?  It looks good!"  After one bite he exclaimed, "Wow!  It IS good!" in utter disbelief - which, I admit, I shared.  

Then, hubby wanted to try it, after which he uttered the same exclamation, "WOW!  This IS good!"

So, in short, I wanted to pass it along to you.  My toppings are listed below: 

Cauliflower Pizza (who knew!)

Ingredients:

1  Crust (I doubled to make two pizzas - PLUS I added some grated Parmesan to the "dough") 

Toppings:

homemade pesto (or good quality store bought - *See note below)
roasted tomatoes (zapped in food processor or blender)
arugula
Pecorino Romano, grated

Instructions:

*NOTE on PESTO:  I love Ina Garten's recipe.  My only change is using 1 1/2 cups of Pecorino Romano instead of 1 cup Parmesan.  It stores well in a glass container with a layer of oil on top.

This is pretty simple.  Just do the crust as she says (adding Parmesan if desired).  Pre-bake as directed.  

Then, peel top layer of parchment off.  Schmear with pesto.  Dollop roasted tomatoes on top and schmoosh around a bit.  Top with a bunch of arugula (it will wilt down) and then the Pecorino Romano (or Parmesan if you prefer).

Then, bake as she directs.  The crust should get nice and crispy on the edges.

NOTE:  I'm going to experiment to see if pre-baked mini pizza crusts can be frozen (stacked in parchment) and then removed and topped for an easy lunch.  Wouldn't that be awesome?

Mangia!