Shaved Brussels Sprout Pizza

Shaved Brussels Sprout Pizza. Change up your pizza night with this seasonal, delicious, vegetarian pizza made with shaved Brussels sprouts, leeks and bocconcini. Add a pinch of peperoncino and a grating of lemon zest to delight your taste buds. Walnuts and dates are a great addition, too. For the non-vegetarians, bacon or prosciutto strips will give a salty/crispy element. Kids and grown-ups alike will love this pizza!

Song of the day: "Shakin' Off The Rust" by The Blue Stones

Have you gone to the Farmers' markets lately? You might think that because Summer is gone, Autumn doesn't have all the colors and beautiful produce. You are up for a surprise because the stalls are an explosion of warm, cozy tones: oranges, yellows, reds, all shades of green, from muted to lively, to dark green.

 

 

A step back in time.......................

I remember a long long time when the thought of eating a Brussel sprout was met with a most contorted face and hands out in the double stop position. Why you ask? Because back in the late sixties and early seventies gourmet vegetables were steamed or boiled and seasoned very little. I remember smelling the scent of Brussel sprouts boiling. I didn't like the aroma or the taste. Too earthy and fermented for my young taste buds.

The evolution of food........................

Today you can find Brussel sprouts in great restaurants and bistros. The plain smelly boiled-to-death vegetable has evolved like many foods of this day and age. A quick boil then roasted with spices or a balsamic take this hated vegetable into a well sought-after ingredient that has creativity flourishing.

I have to say, cooking has come a long way since the blah days and I am so glad. All that time watching cooking shows evolve like Julia Child to the Urban Peasant and now the full blow out of shows on the Food network. However, I have been blessed with plenty of creativity and luckily for me so has Nicoletta.

Nicoletta had never had Brussel sprouts until she met me. She liked them right away. I think the first time was at Famoso, a Neapolitan pizza joint that served a pizza with Brussel sprouts, prosciutto, balsamic glaze, and walnuts. It was fabulous and one that we wanted to recreate, however a bit different. That my friends, is the story and I am sticking to it! And so it is................Shaved Brussels Sprout Pizza!

To shave or not to shave that is the question....................

Usually, we have seen the Brussel sprouts quartered, however, that is not going to be the case. Today we are going to be daring and shave these green morsels of earthy goodness. That is going to give us some nice crispy edges and amazing texture contrast to the crust and mozzarella. We had some organic small leeks from our friend Sparrow's Nest and we thought they would be a nice complement to the Brussels sprouts. We washed and sliced them thin, only the white and light green part, remember! A little toss in a bowl with lemon-flavored olive oil, salt and pepper, and these babies are ready to go on this Shaved Brussels Sprout Pizza.

It pays to make your crust...........

I am really lucky because Nicoletta makes amazing pizza dough. Actually, she loves making the dough and that is no understatement. There has not been a week without having pizza dough on hand. I, on the contrary, love spreading the dough and shaping it into the pan. Pizza dough tossing and spinning is not something I am able to do, however, I am going to learn one day. It is on my bucket list. Similarly, Nicoletta doesn't toss or spin, just gently spread it in the pizza pan, however, look at this crust, does it not just look absolutely fabulous?

Time to finish up this Shaved Brussels Sprout Pizza!

Ingredients are easy and simple which you will find in the recipe.

1. Firstly, we oiled up a pizza pan, oh yeah also pre-heated the oven.
2. Secondly, stretched the dough out in the pan creating a nice bordered edge.
3. Thirdly a good brushing of butternut squash olive oil on the stretched dough.
4. Fourthly, spread the sliced bocconcini on the bottom and on top go our veggies tossed with lemon-flavored e.v.o. oil, salt, and pepper.
5. Lastly, top with a few of the reserved bocconcini and a nice drizzle of oil, e.v.o. of course, and the freshness of some lemon zest. Optional, add some spark with the chili flakes.

Time to get this baby in a nice hot oven. I am so so hungry now. 

There's nothing like melted cheese and a golden crust.........................

I love it when the cheese just melts up in the Brussel sprouts business. The crust looks amazing, as a result of that wonderful golden brown hue. This to me means ultimate flavor!

Get out the pizza cutter and take a scrumptious bite out of this Shaved Brussels Sprout Pizza!

Oh yeah.....................................

This pizza is amazing. The star of the show, the Brussel sprouts, comes through beautifully with some nice caramelization. The sliced small leeks softened and crisped up creating a nice sweet contrast to the Brussels sprouts. I love how there are these nice hits of lemon with the zest and the oil and how the nuttiness of the butternut e.v.o. oil adds such a wonderful backdrop for the ingredients to shine.  Moreover, if you added the chili flakes, the subtle spice keeps your taste buds motivated.

Optional add ons: Walnuts and dates are a great addition. For the non-vegetarians, bacon or prosciutto strips will add a bit of salty/crispy.

I think everyone knows that feeling of that melted mozza and how it ties everything together so beautifully with its richness and creaminess. As a result of the heat, there are some nice crispy cheese bits and ooooooooh those taste so good. I gotta have another slice.

Stuck on what to make for dinner?

Sometimes it's hard to know what to make. Nicoletta and I do meal planning which helps us immensely in shopping, not buying too much, as a result, we don't waste food and furthermore equals saving money which always feels good. So try a week of meal planning, shop and see what happens.

Why not try this pizza, it costs far less than the frozen or ordered ones and not to mention the pride you will feel knowing you made this healthy alternative all homemade with great ingredients with a bonus. It tastes grrrreaaaaat!

Enjoy!

Song of the day: "Shakin' Off The Rust" by The Blue Stones

Print