Are you looking for an easy way to use up some leftover zucchini or summer squash? Then check out this recipe for a white pizza with zucchini. This tasty pizza is loaded with mozzarella cheese, fresh zucchini, shallots, garlic, and tomatoes – hello flavor! This pizza is gluten free, egg free, nut free, and vegetarian friendly.
In this recipe we use gluten free pizza crust to make a pizza that is entirely gluten free. However, if you do not have a gluten intolerance you could also make this pizza with a regular pizza crust.
What is on this zucchini pizza
What is on this zucchini pizza? Here are the ingredients used to make this zucchini pizza.
- Mozzarella. Mozzarella cheese is added to make this pizza nice and cheesy. You should use a fresh ball of mozzarella cheese rather than pre-shredded mozzarella cheese if possible. It is more important to use high quality cheese on white pizzas like this one than pizzas that have flavorful sauces.
- Zucchini. Zucchini is the main topping that is used on this zucchini pizza. The zucchini is sliced into thin slices then added to the pizza before it is cooked. There is no need to precook the zucchini if you are going to cook the pizza for a full 15 – 18 minutes.
- Tomatoes. Tomatoes and zucchini compliment each other wonderfully. A few slices of tomato are added to this zucchini pizza to give it a little more flavor.
- Shallots. A shallot is sliced into thin slices and added on top of the tomato and zucchini slices. If you do not have shallots, you can also use red onions. Shallots are preferable because they have a milder flavor.
- Garlic. A few cloves of garlic are sliced into thin slices and added on top of the zucchini and tomato slices. You should slice the garlic rather than mincing it into fine pieces so that it is less likely to burn.
- Lemon zest. A little bit of lemon zest is added to the top of the pizza after the pizza is cooked. The lemon zest contributes a bright, citrus flavor to the pizza.
How to make a crispy pizza crust
How do you make a pizza crust crispy? Here are some tips for making a pizza crust nice and crispy. Many of these tips apply whether you are making a homemade pizza crust or using a pizza crust you picked up at the store.
- Increase the temperature in your oven. If your pizza crust is not coming out crispy then you should increase your oven temperature. Try setting it to 500 degrees or higher next time you make a pizza.
- Use a pizza stone. This is probably the easiest way to make sure your pizza crust comes out nice and crispy! Pizza stones are good for more than just homemade pizza crusts. You can also use them with store bought pizza crusts or even when you are reheating leftover pizza. We swear by Emile Henry when it comes to pizza stones.
- Preheat your pizza stone. If you are using a pizza stone, you should make sure to preheat it in your oven. You should put your pizza stone in the oven before you turn the oven on for best results.
- Make a thinner crust. If your crust is still turning out mushy then you should try making your pizza crust a little thinner next time. Thinner pizza crusts cook through more quickly and tend to crisp up more than thicker pizza crusts.
How to make a homemade pizza crust
Do you want to make your own homemade pizza crust? It is easy to make a pizza crust from scratch. Here is a summary of the process. If you need more details check out our recipe for a homemade gluten free pizza crust.
- Gather you ingredients. The first step to making a homemade pizza crust is gathering your ingredients. You will need flour, sugar, salt, yeast, and olive oil.
- Proof the yeast. The next step is to add the yeast and sugar to a bowl with some warm water then wait 5 – 10 minutes until the water becomes frothy. This step will help to activate your yeast and it will give you an early warning if your yeast are not working.
- Make the dough. After the surface of the water becomes frothy, you can add the flour, salt, and olive oil to the dough. Combine all of the ingredients together then knead the dough together a few times to make sure everything is fully incorporated.
- First dough rise. After you have made your dough you should let it rest in a warm area until the dough doubles in size. This usually takes around an hour, but it can take longer if it is cold in your kitchen.
- Shape the pizza crust. After the dough has doubled in size, it is time to shape the dough. You should shape the dough by hand rather than using a rolling pin. Using a rolling pin will press too much air out of the dough.
- Second dough rise. After the pizza crust has been shaped, leave the crust to rise for a second time. The second rise does not need to be as long as the first, 15 – 20 minutes will do.
- Add the toppings. After the dough rises for a second time, it’s time for the fun part! Add all of the toppings to your pizza.
- Bake the pizza. Once your pizza is covered with all your favorite toppings, it is time to bake the pizza. We recommend baking your pizza crust for 15 – 18 minutes at 475 degrees. You should feel free to increase the temperature in your oven even higher if you want. There is no such thing as too hot when you are cooking a pizza in the oven. Just make sure to reduce the time by a minute or two for every 25 degrees you increase the temperature in your oven.
How to store leftover zucchini pizza
How do you store leftover zucchini pizza? For best results, we recommend storing this leftover zucchini pizza in the refrigerator in an airtight storage container. The pizza will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. We do not recommend storing this pizza in the freezer because the zucchini will become mushy if frozen and thawed.
How to heat leftover zucchini pizza
How do you reheat leftover zucchini pizza? You have a few options when it comes to reheating leftover zucchini pizza.
- In the microwave. The quickest and easiest way to reheat this zucchini pizza is to microwave it on full power for 45 – 60 seconds. We will warn that pizza that is reheated in the microwave is less likely to have a nice, crispy crust.
- In the oven. For best results, we recommend reheating this zucchini pizza in the oven at 400 degrees. The pizza should only need to be reheated for 5 – 7 minutes or until all the cheese is melted. Pizza that is reheated in the oven will have a much crispier crust than pizza that is reheated in the microwave.
White pizza with zucchini
Ingredients
- 1 gluten free pizza crust
- 8 oz mozzarella cheese
- 1 small zucchini
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 shallot
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 475 degrees.
- Slice the tomato, zucchini, garlic, and shallot into thin slices. If you are using a ball of mozzarella cheese, slice the cheese into thin slices as well.
- Brush a thin layer of olive oil over your pizza crust then add the cheese.
- Layer the tomatoes and zucchini on top of the pizza crust then add the garlic and shallot on top of the tomato and zucchini.
- Bake the pizza for 15 - 18 minutes at 475 degrees.
- Use a zester to zest a lemon onto the cooked pizza.
Substitutions for zucchini pizza
- Gluten free pizza crust. If you do not have a gluten intolerance you can also make this pizza with a regular pizza crust.
- Zucchini. No zucchini at your grocery store? You can also make this pizza recipe with yellow summer squash.
- Shallots. Having trouble finding shallots? You can also make this zucchini pizza with red onions. The flavor of the red onions will be a little stronger than that of the shallots, but the pizza will still taste great!
Other tasty pizza recipes
Are you looking for another tasty white pizza recipe? Check out this recipe for arugula pear pizza! This sweet and savory pizza is topped with an arugula salad made of arugula, pecans, and honey.
This gluten free pear and caramelized onion pizza is absolutely decadent! The sweet caramelized onion perfectly complements the nutty spiced pear and the creamy ricotta cheese.
Check out this recipe for buffalo cauliflower pizza! This tasty pizza is loaded with spicy buffalo sauce, flavorful buffalo cauliflower, creamy sour cream drizzle, zesty onions, and lots of mozzarella cheese. It is one of our absolute favorites!
