Vegan Pesto Pizza with Fennel and Cauliflower
By America's Test KitchenPublished on January 10, 2020
Time
1¾ hours, plus 1 hour resting
Yield
Makes two 13-inch pizzas
Ingredients
2 cups fresh basil leaves plus 2 tablespoons shredded½ cup extra-virgin olive oil 6 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted2 garlic cloves, mincedSalt and pepper 2 cups chopped cauliflower 1 fennel bulb, stalks discarded, bulb halved, cored, and cut into ½-inch pieces3 tablespoons water 1 Thin Crust Pizza Dough
Before You Begin
If you don't have a baking stone, bake the pizzas on an overturned and preheated rimmed baking sheet. Semolina flour is ideal for dusting the peel; use it in place of flour if you have it.
Instructions
- One hour before baking, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position, set baking stone on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. Process 2 cups basil leaves, 6 tablespoons oil, ¼ cup pine nuts, garlic, and ½ teaspoon salt in food processor until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, about 1 minute; transfer to bowl. (Pesto can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.)
- Remove dough from refrigerator and divide in half. Shape each half into smooth, tight ball. Space dough balls 3 inches apart on lightly oiled baking sheet, cover loosely with greased plastic wrap, and let rest for 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add cauliflower, fennel, water, and ¼ teaspoon salt; cover and cook until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to medium-high, and continue to cook until tender and browned around edges, 10 to 12 minutes; transfer to bowl.
- Heat broiler for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, coat 1 dough ball generously with flour and place on well-floured counter. Using your fingertips, gently flatten dough into 8-inch round, leaving 1 inch of outer edge slightly thicker than center. Using your hands, gently stretch disk into 12-inch round, working along edges and giving disk quarter turns. Transfer dough to well-floured peel and stretch into 13-inch round. Spread half of pesto over dough, leaving ¼-inch border around edge, then sprinkle with half of cauliflower mixture. Slide pizza carefully onto stone and return oven to 500 degrees. Bake until crust is well browned, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating pizza halfway through baking. Transfer pizza to wire rack, let cool for 5 minutes, then sprinkle with 1 tablespoon shredded basil and 1 tablespoon pine nuts. Slice and serve. Repeat shaping, topping, and baking for second pizza.
Time
1¾ hours, plus 1 hour restingYield
Makes two 13-inch pizzasIngredients
2 cups fresh basil leaves plus 2 tablespoons shredded
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper
2 cups chopped cauliflower
1 fennel bulb, stalks discarded, bulb halved, cored, and cut into ½-inch pieces
3 tablespoons water
Ingredients
2 cups fresh basil leaves plus 2 tablespoons shredded
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper
2 cups chopped cauliflower
1 fennel bulb, stalks discarded, bulb halved, cored, and cut into ½-inch pieces
3 tablespoons water
Ingredients
2 cups fresh basil leaves plus 2 tablespoons shredded
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper
2 cups chopped cauliflower
1 fennel bulb, stalks discarded, bulb halved, cored, and cut into ½-inch pieces
3 tablespoons water
Why This Recipe Works
Tomato sauce pies are great, but to freshen things up, we like pizza spread with garlicky pesto. When we simply omitted the Parmesan from the pesto, we didn't miss it; we got all the savory flavor we desired from the olive oil, pine nuts, and garlic. For a vegetable topper, we thought some sweet, caramelized cauliflower and fragrant fennel would serve as delicious opposing forces to the bold sauce. A sprinkle of more pine nuts and fresh basil was a nice call-out to the pesto below. You can shape the second dough ball while the first pizza bakes, but don't top the pizza until right before you bake it.
Before You Begin
If you don't have a baking stone, bake the pizzas on an overturned and preheated rimmed baking sheet. Semolina flour is ideal for dusting the peel; use it in place of flour if you have it.
Instructions
- One hour before baking, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position, set baking stone on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. Process 2 cups basil leaves, 6 tablespoons oil, ¼ cup pine nuts, garlic, and ½ teaspoon salt in food processor until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, about 1 minute; transfer to bowl. (Pesto can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.)
- Remove dough from refrigerator and divide in half. Shape each half into smooth, tight ball. Space dough balls 3 inches apart on lightly oiled baking sheet, cover loosely with greased plastic wrap, and let rest for 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add cauliflower, fennel, water, and ¼ teaspoon salt; cover and cook until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to medium-high, and continue to cook until tender and browned around edges, 10 to 12 minutes; transfer to bowl.
- Heat broiler for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, coat 1 dough ball generously with flour and place on well-floured counter. Using your fingertips, gently flatten dough into 8-inch round, leaving 1 inch of outer edge slightly thicker than center. Using your hands, gently stretch disk into 12-inch round, working along edges and giving disk quarter turns. Transfer dough to well-floured peel and stretch into 13-inch round. Spread half of pesto over dough, leaving ¼-inch border around edge, then sprinkle with half of cauliflower mixture. Slide pizza carefully onto stone and return oven to 500 degrees. Bake until crust is well browned, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating pizza halfway through baking. Transfer pizza to wire rack, let cool for 5 minutes, then sprinkle with 1 tablespoon shredded basil and 1 tablespoon pine nuts. Slice and serve. Repeat shaping, topping, and baking for second pizza.
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