Zaza's Perfect Zucchini & Herb Pie
Zucchini eyes...
Zucchini's are NOT cucumbers. They look like them. But they are not cucumbers.
Zucchini's ARE squashes, which makes them better for....PIZZA!
They come in green and yellow...making your pizza very colorful. Zaza has developed her own color palette for this pie:
It's all beautiful greens and golds...just right for SPRING.
Zaza uses TWO kinds of cheeses - mozzarella for it's gooey-ness and Parmesan for its salty bite. Lemon juice brightens up the whole pie! Give the instructions below a go and make your own...it's better than putting zucchini slices on your eyes!
This recipe makes 4-5 personal-sized pizzas (about 8” in diameter)
Ingredients
Homemade or store bought pizza dough
1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated and divided
½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 large zucchini, sliced into thin rounds
fresh lemon juice (about 2 large lemons)
fresh parsley
fresh thyme
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Instructions
Heat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
For the zucchini:
Slice the zucchini into thin rounds strips. We recommend a mandolin slicer or a potato peeler to accomplish this, but a steady hand and a sharp knife will do the trick. Place the sliced zucchini in a bowl, squeeze with fresh lemon juice, drizzle with olive oil and season with a pinch of salt and fresh thyme. Make sure to rub the oil and herb mixture into the rounds. Then place them onto a baking sheet and roast the zucchini in the oven for about 10-15 minutes, until soft.
For the Pizza:
Heat your oven to 500 °F. If using a pizza stone, allow the stone to heat in the oven for 30 minutes before baking on it. Stretch out one of the pizza dough rounds onto a pizza peel dusted with flour, or onto a cookie sheet (if not using a pizza stone).
Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top of the pizza dough, and place the roasted zucchini on top of the cheese. Drizzle some Colavita Olive Oil on top.
Grate fresh parmesan cheese directly over the top and slide the prepared pizza into the oven. Bake for about 8-10 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbling.
Remove from the oven, garnish with freshly chopped parsley and thyme, a grind of black pepper, and a fresh squeeze of lemon juice, if desired.
The real Zaza fishing out a Perfect Zucchini Pie from the wood-fired oven. Photo credit: Daniella Allen.
