Zucchini & Squash Blossom Pizza
It’s offically August! And you know what that means? The summer squash and zucchini plants are going wild! We’re harvesting hundreds of pounds every couple of days and our backs and hamstrings are getting pretty beat up. It’s always like this come August and we sometimes feel a little guilty over-loading CSA members with tons of squash. With that being said, there are so many wonderful ways to prepare this summer delight and this pizza is a great example. I canned a large batch of basil pesto a few weekends ago with one of my girlfriends because fresh pesto always comes in handy on pizza night and we love having it all winter long. I’ve included my recipe for pesto but if you have a family favorite feel free to use that in place of mine. This is the kind of recipe that welcomes detours so use what you have on hand. All that matters is that your ingredients are fresh for optimal flavor.
Cheers from Tumbleweed Farm!
Zucchini & Squash Blossom Pizza
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Serves: 1 pizza
Basil Pesto- 2 cups packed basil leaves, roughly chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil + additional to thin if necessary
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 pound pizza dough
- flour for rolling out your dough
- 1/4 cup pesto
- 1 small zucchini, thinly sliced
- 4-6 squash blossoms
- 1/2 cup fresh ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
Preparation
- Preheat your oven to 500F with a rack in the upper third of the oven.
- Prepare the pesto by combining the basil, garlic and pine nuts in a food processor. Process until coarsely chopped. With the motor running slowly drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle in a few healthy pinches of salt and pepper. Taste test and adjust flavors as needed.
- Roll out your pizza dough on a lightly floured surface. Spread about 1/4 cup of pesto over the crust followed by the sliced zucchini, squash blossoms, ricotta cheese and parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes and transfer to a baking sheet. Bake until the curst is a deep golden brown and the cheese is bubbling. About 10-12 minutes. Let the pizza cool for about 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
*Use this recipe as a guide *Adjust measurements and ingredients as necessary *Cooking times will vary from kitchen to kitchen