MINI CAULIFLOWER PIZZAS

A veggie alternative to the popular Italian dish

Who doesn’t like pizza? This dish of Italian origin is almost always on our shopping list. Some dare to make it at home, while others prefer to buy it ready to eat, but the truth is that we all like pizza.

As the story goes, the term pizza first appeared in 997 B.C. The ancient Greeks were already eating a flatbread called ‘Plakous’, similar to focaccia but not so fluffy. It was topped with herbs, onion, garlic, and cheese.

The pizza that we know today did not arrive until the 17th century. It was in the city of Naples where they devised to roll out the dough and add tomato sauce that came from the Americas.

In its origins, pizza was considered a poor recipe. This was the thought of many until, in 1889, the Italian queen Margherita de Saboya tried a piece and requested that one be prepared with the colors of the country: the cheese representing the white part, the tomato sauce the red, and the green color coming from the basil leaves.

Without a doubt, pizza is everywhere. So much so that ‘World Pizza Day’ is celebrated on February 9th.

From its creation to the present day, many pizza recipes have emerged. So learn how to make a cauliflower-based pizza and finish it with your ingredients of choice. Don’t forget to finish it off with a touch of oregano and, if you like it spicy, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil with chilli.

Ingredients for 12–14 mini pizzas

• 1 small cauliflower
• 1 egg
• 30 g of finely grated Manchego cheese
• Salt
• Black pepper
• 50 g tomato sauce
• Dried oregano
• 1/2 zucchini
• Assorted cherry tomatoes
• 150 g of fresh mozzarella
• Dried oregano
• Fresh basil

Step-by-step preparation

1. Wash the cauliflower and remove the stem.
2. Finely chop the cauliflower florets or grate with a cheese grater.
3. Spread the grated cauliflower in a microwave-safe dish and dry on full power for 8 minutes. Add the grated Manchego cheese, stir until integrated and let cool.
4. Add the egg to the cauliflower and cheese and season to taste. Stir well until obtaining an even dough.
5. Take small portions of the dough and spread on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper.
6. Put the tray in the oven (preheated to 200 ºC) and cook for 10 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, wash the zucchini and cherry tomatoes. Slice the first zucchini thin and quarter the tomatoes.
8. Remove the tray from the oven and cover each pizza base with tomato sauce, a little oregano, zucchini, cherry tomatoes and pieces of mozzarella.
9. Put the tray back in the oven, on the bottom rack, and cook the pizzas for another 10 minutes or until the edges are golden.
10. Wait a few minutes before serving the pizzas, accompanied with fresh basil or any other herbs you have on hand.