For this summery, vegetarian pizza, we keep our pizza toppings light, yet flavorful. Spiralized zucchini is sprinkled all over the pizza in a big, pretty tangle, then topped with some sliced onions and olives. Then after the pizza is baked, it gets a drizzle of balsamic glaze and a handful of basil leaves. The combination of cooked vegetables, tangy balsamic and bright basil is irresistible.
Even better, the pizza gets some serious pizzaz with a crunchy crust of Garlic Gold® Parmesan Nuggets! The secret? We parbake the pizza, brush the crust with an egg wash, then sprinkle the nuggets on in the last few minutes of baking. It’s just long enough for the crust to get perfectly golden brown, and the parmesan nuggets add a wonderful crunch. Use this trick for any pizza you’re making to take it to another level!
- 1 (1-pound) bag store-bought pizza dough
- 1 cup pizza sauce
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 large zucchini, spiralized
- 1 small red onion, sliced thinly
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1/4 cup Garlic Gold Parmesan Nuggets
- 1 cup basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons balsamic glaze (or a very good aged balsamic vinegar)
- 1. Parbake the pizza: Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Roll out your pizza dough into a 12-inch round and place it on a baking sheet or pizza pan. Top the dough with pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, red pepper flakes, spiralized zucchini, red onion, and olives. Bake for 10 minutes — the crust will be risen but not yet browned. Remove the pizza from the oven.
- 2. Brush the crust with an egg wash: Whisk together one egg with one tablespoon of water. Brush the egg mixture onto the crust of the pizza.
- 3. Add the crunchy garlic crust: Generously sprinkle Garlic Gold® Parmesan Nuggets all over the pizza crust. Return the pizza to the oven and bake for 5 more minutes, just until the cheese is bubbly and the garlic crust is golden brown.
- Serve your pizza while it’s nice and hot! We like ours with a final drizzle of balsamic glaze and a sprinkle of whole basil leaves.
