Before we begin, I would like to make a statement about cauliflower. *Puts on glasses and pulls out clipboard*
I genuinely love cauliflower. I love the way I feel when I eat lots of veggies, and cauliflower is a versatile option for getting my veggies in. It’s a great blank canvas, and a great addition to things! I present as evidence: frozen cauliflower is shockingly good in smoothies. A well-made cauliflower mash can hold its own as a super delicious side dish. Also, have you ever had really good buffalo cauliflower? Damn.
However, I’d like to preface this post about cauliflower crust pizza by saying that I reject the idea that it’s a “better option” than regular pizza crust. If you’ve been following me for a while, you know that I’ve had this kind of mentality around foods and recipes in the past. But, I’ve been doing a LOT of soul searching in recent years re: diet culture mentality, and with that has come the realization that placing a “moral hierarchy” around food isn’t helpful for anyone. If you can eat plain ol’ pizza crust and you’re in the mood for that, do you! If someone placed a wood-fired pizza in front of me right now, I certainly wouldn’t say no.
That having been said, I am genuinely, unironically a big fan of Trader Joe’s Frozen Cauliflower Crust. I think it’s delicious, period – especially if prepared properly. As a bonus, it’s easy to store for a long time and easy to whip up, making it great for a quick 30-minute meal after a long day of rehearsing or teaching. In this particular recipe, the toppings on this pizza are SO special, and pair really well with the crust. If you’re not a cauli crust person, use something else! Make this with your favorite pizza dough or gluten-free pizza crust and all will be well, I promise.
This pizza is special to me, because it’s inspired by a pie that I ate frequently when I used to live in uptown Manhattan, right after graduating from Juilliard. A place up there called The Uptown Garrison makes this BOMB pizza with wood roasted broccoli, garlic, mozz, caciocavallo, parm, chili, and lemon. It is stupid good, and when I tell you that this pizza got me through EVERYTHING, I am not exaggerating. Exhausting day of rehearsal? Broccoli pizza. Existential career crisis? Broccoli pizza. Boy problems? Broccoli pizza. If someone made an indie rom-com about my life at age 25, it would probably be called Broccoli Pizza.
My version of this pizza, which I’ve been making for years now, is a bit simpler to make at home but tastes shockingly like the Uptown Garrison’s. I often put it on a Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Crust, which if you follow my specific directions, comes out with a great texture. Plus, it’s basically a billboard ad for brassicas, and they get *all* the right treatments here.
Here’s how to make this pizza!
The Crust
I always use Trader Joe’s Frozen Cauliflower Crusts for this, and the directions below reflect that. However, you can also use a different premade crust or a raw pizza dough. If you’re using raw dough, spread the toppings on the raw dough and bake at the directed temp first, then broil to finish.
Start by preheating your oven to 450˚F. When it’s done preheating, place your cauliflower crust onto a cooling rack and then place that cooling rack into the oven. This method allows heat to circulate all around the crust, allowing for maximum crispage and preventing a soggy bottom.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, then flip the crust over. Flipping can take some careful handiwork, but my favorite way to do it is by carefully sliding the crust onto a large plate, placing another large plate upside down on top of that to flip it over, and then sliding the crust back onto the rack in the oven. Bake for another 10-12 minutes.
After your crust has baked,add your toppings.Then, place it back on the cooling rack andbroil until the cheese is melted and browned, and the crust gets a browned and crispy around the edges. You can place a sheet pan on the next rack down if you’re worried about cheese dripping, but do leave some airflow underneath the crust if you can.
The Toppings
While the crust is baking, quickly sauté some baby broccoli (or the tender florets of regular broccoli) in some olive oil until the florets get a little charred and crispy. Add in some thinly sliced garlic right at the end.
When it comes time to assemble the pizza, I like to layer as follows:
A drizzle of olive oil (this pizza has no sauce, so this prevents it from feeling dry)
A layer of shredded mozz
A layer of broccoli
Another layer of mozz
Another of broccoli
After baking, sprinkle on some grated parm and drizzle hot honey on top. The hot honey really makes it special. If you’re not a hot honey person or don’t have any on hand, you can either use a drizzle of regular honey or mix some honey with chili flakes or crushed calabrian chilies.
A spin on one of my favorite pizzas with charred, garlicky broccolini and a drizzle of hot honey. Not a fan of cauli crust? Use your favorite crust or dough instead!
Preheat your oven to 450 ̊ F. Keep your cauliflower crust frozen until the oven is done heating!
While the oven heats, remove the tough stems from your broccolini, saving the tender florets. Thinly slice your 3 cloves of garlic.
Place your frozen cauliflower crust upside down on a cooling rack in the oven (so what was on the bottom in the package is now facing up) and set a timer for 10-12 minutes.
While the crust bakes, heat 1 Tbs. of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add your broccolini to the pan, season with salt and pepper to taste, and cook until the broccolini is tender and charred. Then, lower the heat and add the thinly sliced garlic. Cook until fragrant and softened, about 2 minutes.
When your timer goes off, flip the cauliflower crust over*, drizzle the top with the remaining 1 Tbs. olive oil, and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
When the crust is done baking on the second side, top the pizza with mozzarella cheese and the broccoli mixture in alternating layers.
Set your oven to broil and cook the pizza until the top is bubbly and browned to your liking, about 5 minutes. Remove and serve immediately topped with a drizzle of hot honey** and grated Parmigiano.
Notes
* Flipping the crust can require some careful handiwork. I find it easiest to slide the crust onto a plate, place another plate over that, flip it, and then use the plate as a “pizza peel” to slide it back onto the rack in the oven.
** Don’t have or can’t find hot honey? Mix 2 Tbs. honey with some chili flakes, or with 1/2 Tbs. of chili paste or harissa. Trader Joe’s sells both (the former is sold as “Italian Bomba Hot Pepper Sauce”).
You can use any crust you like for this recipe, including raw dough. Make sure to adapt the recipe according to your crust’s directions. For raw dough, cook the prepared toppings on the raw dough and then broil to finish.
