If ever you had any second thoughts about cauliflower as a pizza topping, here is the recipe for you! Garlicky sautéed cauliflower topped with breadcrumbs for crunchy texture and ricotta salata for that satisfying salty flavor, this is the pizza with cauliflower recipe you will love!
If you are looking for a cauliflower crust pizza, this is not the recipe for you! Honestly, I have actually never tasted a cauliflower crust but I do know that this underrated vegetable makes for a delicious pizza topping!
I sampled a similar pizza with cauliflower topping at a restaurant in south Florida several years ago, and my version of this vegetarian pizza is now a staple at our house.
Imagine cauliflower sautéed with garlic and pepperoncino (for a spicy kick) layered on pizza dough, topped with muddica (crispy breadcrumbs) and ricotta salata for that wonderful tanginess. An explosion of flavor and textures in your mouth!
I prepared this pizza bianca (pizza without tomato sauce) with my easy no knead pizza dough recipe. Once you try it, this recipe is a game changer. Just stir all dough ingredients together and let it rise for a minimum of 6 hours or up to 24 hours!
What is muddica?
Muddica is no doubt a Sicilian thing and we put those crispy breadcrumbs on so many dishes such as plain spaghetti; pasta with cauliflower, sardines or anchovies and sfincione, to name a few!
Muddica is basically toasted breadcrumbs sautéed in olive oil until crisp and golden. But these are not your ordinary dry breadcrumbs that come from a can!
Muddica is made with fresh breadcrumbs from a loaf of day old Italian bread. The crumb is torn into small pieces, either by hand or with a food processor until you have coarse breadcrumbs. Do not process until you have fine, tiny crumbs!
The fresh breadcrumbs are pan toasted until golden, then olive oil is added and sautéed until crisp. Finally, a few turns of freshly ground black pepper is a must.
I keep a container of muddica on hand in my freezer ready to use any time I need it.
Ingredient List
- One recipe of my easy no knead pizza dough
- Cauliflower: one medium head cut into florets
- Fresh breadcrumbs: crumb from day old bread, crusts removed, and torn into coarse crumbs
- Ricotta salata: may be replaced with Pecorino Romano cheese if you don't have access to ricotta salata
- Garlic
- Pepperoncino: spicy red pepper flakes (optional)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Olive oil
The following are step by step instructions with images to guide you through this recipe. Please scroll to the end of this post for the detailed printable recipe card.
Step by Step Instructions
For the dough
- Prepare one recipe of no knead pizza dough.
Prepare toppings
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook cauliflower florets until fork tender, about 10 minutes. Drain the cauliflower.
- Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add minced garlic and pepperoncino (if using) and cook, stirring for 1 minute.
- Stir in the boiled cauliflower and use a wooden spoon to break down the florets into small pieces. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.
- Add salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.
- Heat a small skillet over medium heat and add the fresh breadcrumbs.
- Cook, stirring constantly until toasted, 3-4 minutes. The crumbs will begin to turn golden brown. Do not let them burn!
- Stir in 2 tsp. olive oil and cook, stirring, until the crumbs are coated in oil and crisp, about 1 minute. Set them aside
Assemble and bake
- Preheat oven to 500 degrees F and place oven rack on the lowest level.
- Grease a 13 inch pizza pan with oil.
- Flour your counter and use your fingers to stretch out the pizza dough to fit the pan.
- Carefully lift and place the pizza dough on the pan. Top evenly with the prepared cauliflower mixture.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the crispy breadcrumbs evenly over the cauliflower. Return to the oven for 2 more minutes.
- Remove from the oven and top with grated ricotta salata. Serve hot.
Recipe Notes
-If you don't have access to ricotta salata, replace with Pecorino Romano cheese.
-For extra flavor, add an anchovy fillet or two to your skillet when sautéing the garlic, before adding the cauliflower.
-Do not replace fresh breadcrumbs with fine, dry breadcrumbs. The result is not the same at all! I keep a batch of fresh breadcrumbs in a container in my freezer at all times.
-No knead pizza dough is stickier than most pizza dough due to it's high hydration level. Flour your counter and hands as needed in order to handle the dough.
-My pizza baked in a 500 degrees F oven for 12 minutes. However some ovens run hotter than others so do keep an eye on your pizza as it bakes.
-If the cauliflower begins to brown too much and your dough is not ready, tent it with a sheet of foil and continue baking.
-Add the breadcrumbs in the last minute or two of baking to prevent them from burning.
-I add my ricotta salata once I take the pizza out of the oven otherwise it will burn.
Keep leftovers refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Did you try this pizza with cauliflower recipe?
Let me know how much you enjoyed it by rating it in the recipe card below1
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Check out more Italian cauliflower recipes!
- Sicilian Pasta with Cauliflower
- Cauliflower Fritters (crispeddu cu brocculu)
- Scacciata with Cauliflower and Black Olives
- Cheesy Cauliflower and Potato Bake
Ingredients
- 1 recipe no knead pizza dough
- 1 head cauliflower cut into florets
- 2 cloves garlic
- pepperoncino optional
- 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs (crumb of day old bread)
- ¼ cup grated ricotta salata
- ¼ cup olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Prepare the dough
- Prepare one recipe of no knead pizza dough.
Prepare the toppings
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook cauliflower florets until fork tender, about 10 minutes. Drain the cauliflower.
- Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add minced garlic and pepperoncino (if using) and cook, stirring for 1 minute.
- Stir in the boiled cauliflower and use a wooden spoon to break down the florets into small pieces. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.
- Add salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.
- Heat a small skillet over medium heat and add the fresh breadcrumbs. Cook, stirring constantly until toasted, 3-4 minutes. The crumbs will begin to turn golden brown. Do not let them burn!
- Stir in 2 tsp. olive oil and cook, stirring, until the crumbs are coated in oil and crisp, about 1 minute. Set them aside.
Assemble and bake
- Preheat oven to 500 degrees F and place oven rack on the lowest level. Grease a 13 inch pizza pan with oil.
- Flour your counter and use your fingers to stretch out the pizza dough to fit the pan. Carefully lift and place the pizza dough on the pan.
- Top evenly with the prepared cauliflower mixture. Bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle the crispy breadcrumbs evenly over the cauliflower. Return to the oven for 2 more minutes.
- Remove from the oven and top with grated ricotta salata. Serve hot.
Notes
-For extra flavor, add an anchovy fillet or two to your skillet when sautéing the garlic, before adding the cauliflower.
-Do not replace fresh breadcrumbs with fine, dry breadcrumbs. The result is not the same at all! I keep a batch of fresh breadcrumbs in a container in my freezer at all times. More Tips -No knead pizza dough is stickier than most pizza dough due to it's high hydration level. Flour your counter and hands as needed in order to handle the dough.
-My pizza baked in a 500 degrees F oven for 12 minutes. However some ovens run hotter than others so do keep an eye on your pizza as it bakes.
-If the cauliflower begins to brown too much and your dough is not ready, tent it with a sheet of foil and continue baking.
-Add the breadcrumbs in the last minute or two of baking to prevent them from burning.
-I add my ricotta salata once I take the pizza out of the oven otherwise it will burn. Storage Keep leftovers refrigerated for up to 3 days.
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