Summer Squash Pizza Crust
INGREDIENTS:4 cups finely shredded zucchini and yellow summer squash
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
salt to taste
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Shred zucchini and summer squash. Lightly salt and transfer to a strainer. Let stand 15 to 30 minutes and press all remaining liquid out of squash.
3. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine squash, flour, cheeses, eggs, pepper and salt. Mix well.
4. Spread the mixture into a greased and floured jelly roll pan. Back for 25 minutes in the oven.
5. Remove the crust from the oven and change the oven's temperature to broil. Brush the top of the crust with oil, and then broil the crust for 3 to 5 minutes until the top is lightly browned.
6. Allow the crust to cool slightly and slide spatula underneath all edges and under the middle. Place a large baking sheet over the top of the crust and gently flip the crust over so that the bottom of the crust is now facing upwards. Because it can be difficult to flip the crust smoothly, it may be necessary to cut the crust in half to facilitate the flipping of the crust.
7. Brush the top of the crust with oil and broil for another 3 to 5 minutes until the top is browned.
8. Use your favorite pizza sauce and top the pizza with your favorite toppings and cheese. Broil until the cheese is melted.
Some things I have learned in my attempts to make this.
1. It is very difficult to get all the liquid out of the squash. You may want to press between paper towels in addition to pressing through a strainer. It is important to get out as much as possible.
2. Non-Stick Reynolds Aluminum foil is a MUST! I did this for the first time and it eliminates most, if not all, of the frustration of trying to flip it.
3. All of the ingredients make a wonderful crust but if you don't have both cheeses don't worry. I have made it without either of the parmesan or mozzarella in the crust and it was still very good.
4. Don't expect this to be a "pick up and eat" type of pizza. Forks may be necessary.
5. You can also make smaller sized pizzas to aid in getting them crisper.
6. You may have to broil it longer than the recipes calls. I like to try and get it as crispy as possible without burning it. It really never does get close to crispy.
 |
| These are the ingredients |
 | |||
| Here is the crust when you press it into the pan |
