Zucchini Pizza

How are you doing with that pile of zucchini? Tired of zucchini bread yet?

You can make a pizza with zucchini. I'm just going to let that statement sit there for a minute. My boys' immediate response was stunned silence. And they LIKE zucchini.

This pizza changed their minds, and it will become a favorite at yours too. Couple of tips: you can add snipped pepperoni. Is it necessary? Absolutely not. It might help ingratiate the idea of zucchini on pizza with your kiddos.

I made this with vegan cheese. I know, I know. I am warming to the idea of non-dairy cheese. What we could get overseas was ... well, not very good. A lot of the options I am finding in the local stores, though, are quite tasty. Try it. You might like it. I should add that even those of us who like dairy liked it with the vegan cheese.

You can make this with zucchini or with summer squash.

Zucchini Pizza

Yield: 5 - 6 servings

Ingredients

Pizza dough

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour (can sub in 1 cup whole wheat flour if you'd like)

2 teaspoons instant or active dry yeast

A heaped 1/2 teaspoon fine sea or table salt

1 1/3 cups lukewarm water, plus as needed

Pizza and Assembly

3 pounds (about 6 small-medium or 3 large) zucchini or other summer squash, trimmed

1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for fingertips

2 cups (8 ounces) coarsely grated gruyere cheese (I made this with vegan cheese and it was quite tasty)

Option: 1/2 cup snipped pepperoni (cut into 1/4 inch strips)

2 to 3 tablespoons plain breadcrumbs

Freshly ground pepper

Pepper flakes, if desired

Instructions

Make your pizza dough:

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, yeast and salt. Add the water and, using a wooden spoon or your hand, mix until well blended, about 1 minute. Once well combined into a cohesive dough, lightly oil the bowl, turn the dough over to coat and cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature until the dough has more than doubled in volume, about 2 hours. Or longer. This is a very patient dough.

About an hour before baking, grate your squash:

Use a food processor with a grater attachment or the large holes of a box grater to grate the zucchini. In a large bowl, toss together the zucchini and salt. Let stand for 20 to 30 minutes (more, if you have the time), until the zucchini has wilted and released its water.

Assemble your pizza:

About 30 minutes before baking, heat oven to 475. Brush 2 13×18-inch rimmed half-sheet pans with olive oil or line with parchment paper. Divide your dough in half and use oiled fingertips to pull, stretch, nudge and press the dough across the bottom of the pan. The dough will be thin and imperfect; just try to get it even. If holes form, just pinch them together. Set aside.

Drain the zucchini in a colander and then use your hands to squeeze out as much water as possible, a fistful at a time. Back in the large bowl (wiped out if still wet), toss the zucchini with the gruyere shreds (or use your vegan cheese), being sure to break up any clumps of zucchini. Taste the mixture; it should be seasoned enough from the salt, but you can add more, plus ground pepper or pepper flakes if desired. If using the snipped pepperoni, add it now and toss well to combine.

Spread the zucchini mixture over the doughs, going all the way to the edges of the pan and piling it a bit thicker at the edges, where it will brown first. Sprinkle messily with the bread crumbs.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the topping is golden. Remove from oven, cut into squares and Enjoy!