Pizza al cavolfiore - Cauliflower Pizza

Sunday, family lunch, pizza for everybody, as usual. Yet, I suddenly realise that today somebody cannot have it. My niece Bianca, in London for few days, has intolerance to yeast and flour. Do I change the menu? I prefer to change the recipe, as everybody looks forward to the homemade Sunday pizza.

It's the right time to try the cauliflower pizza I tasted last summer at a friend’s party. A delicious dish with delicate texture enhanced by juicy tomatoes, soft mozzarella and salty anchovies: something like a pizza, with a twist. It was almost impossible to detect the cauliflower, but it was an intriguing recipe. I'll definitely make it today.
Here is the recipe I have just worked out. It takes a bit longer to prepare the cauliflower pizza than the traditional one. You need to go through different cooking processes.  However, you save the rising time. No yeast needed.

To start with, you blitz and steam the cauliflower.

Then you leave it to dry and cool on a tea towel.

You arrange the cauliflower mix over a pizza tin and bake it for 20 minutes.

Finally, you arrange your topping over the pre cooked base.
I had some comfit tomatoes left and they worked perfectly.
Anchovies are essential, they combine so well with cauliflower. 
Basil is optional.

Pizza al cavolfiore - Cauliflower Pizza
Gluten-free
Yeast-free

For the dough:
500 g cauliflower florets
1 egg
40 g grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
A pinch of salt
Black pepper

For he topping:
200 g cherry tomatoes, halved (comfit tomatoes work well)
7-8 black olives, pitted
1 tablespoon capers in salt, rinsed
2 tablespoons oregano
1 mozzarella (125 g), diced
6 anchovies fillets in oil

Serves 2 as a main, 4 as an appetiser
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 60 minutes

1. Heat the oven to 200°C. 
2. Cut a medium cauliflower into florets and blitz in a food processor until finely chopped, like rice. 
3. Steam for 5-6 minutes, until softened. 
4. Spread the cauliflower on a clean tea towel and leave to cool. 
5. Transfer to a bowl, stir in the egg and the Parmesan and season with oil, salt and pepper. 
6. Line a round pizza tin (30 cm diameter) with baking parchment (do not wet it with water, otherwise you won’t get e proper crust) and grease with oil. 
7. Arrange the cauliflower mix into the tin, and use a spoon and your hands to spread it over. Make it a little thicker at the edges to create a ‘crust’. 
8. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until golden brown and starting to crisp a little at the edges.
9. Arrange the tomatoes, the mozzarella, the olives, the anchovies, the capers and the oregano on top and bake for another 5 minutes.
10. Serve at once, with fresh basil if you like.