Roasted Cauliflower White Pizza Recipe
You must try this savory white pizza with roasted, caramelized cauliflower and onions. It is baked with mozzarella and crunchy garlic breadcrumbs. Then it is finished with Pecorino Romano cheese and extra virgin olive oil for extra goodness. Cheesy and golden brown, you will definitely want a second slice.
This cauliflower and onion pizza is a pizza with cauliflower on top, not a pizza made from a cauliflower crust. If you are a fan of roasted cauliflower, you are going to love this pizza. Even if you are a meat lover when it comes to pizza, I think you will find this pizza surprisingly delicious.
I had a craving for pizza. However, our favorite pizza place, Anthony’s Coal-Fired Pizza, is 100 miles away. It’s too far to drive for a slice of pizza. What do you do? You go about making your own version. That is how this cauliflower pizza came about. While I don’t have a coal fired pizza oven, I cranked up my oven, and started cooking.
First, cauliflower florets and onion wedges are roasted in olive oil and Italian seasonings. Roast them until they are caramelized with some crispy edges. They should be tender but not mushy.
Then either store bought dough or your favorite homemade pizza dough is rolled out thin. Instead of your usual tomato sauce, the dough is brushed with a generous amount of high quality, extra-virgin olive oil.
The caramelized cauliflower and onions are spread over the dough then topped with mozzarella for that classic melty texture. Garlicky breadcrumbs are added to give the cauliflower extra crunch. After baking, the pizza is drizzled with olive oil and a dusting of Pecorino cheese is added. This provides a sharp, salty depth of flavor to the cauliflower pizza.
Roasted Cauliflower and Onion Pizza
Serves 2 – e
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- 1 head of cauliflower, about 4 cups of bite size pieces of cauliflower florets
- 1 small onion, cut into 1/2 inch thick wedges
- 2 – 3 large cloves garlic, chopped
- 3-4 Tbsp. olive oil as needed for roasting and then drizzling on finished pizza
- a generous pinch of salt, pepper, oregano, garlic powder and onion powder, or to taste
- pinch of crushed red pepper flakes or to taste
- flour for dusting
- 1 pizza dough, store bought or homemade (enough for one large pizza)
- 4 oz. mozzarella cheese, grated
- 1/4 c. garlic bread crumbs * See Notes From The Kitchen
- 1/3 c. freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese
- In a large bowl, combine cauliflower, onion, and garlic with olive oil. Add salt, pepper, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, and red pepper flakes. Toss the ingredients until well coated.
- Transfer the mixture to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper in a single layer. Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes, turning the tray and tossing halfway through. Once the cauliflower is tender, remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.
- Turn the oven temperature to 500 degrees F.
- Flour your counter and use your fingers to stretch the pizza dough to fit the pan. If the dough should resist and does not spread easily, let it rest for two or three minutes. This relaxation time will make it more yielding.
- Carefully lift and place the pizza dough on the parchment and brush liberally with olive oil. Spread the cauliflower and onion mixture evenly on the dough. Top with the grated mozzarella.
- Bake for 10 – 15 minutes until the cheese begins to bubble and turns golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle the breadcrumbs evenly over the cauliflower. Return to the oven for 2 more minutes.
- Remove from the oven and top with grated Pecorino cheese and drizzle a light amount of olive oil on top. Transfer to a cutting board, cut, and serve.
NOTES FROM THE KITCHEN
- Overcrowding causes cauliflower to steam, making it soft and mushy rather than crispy. Use a large baking sheet and ensure there is space between the florets.
- Roasting at too low a temperature prevents proper caramelization and browning, leading to a soggy texture.
- Not drying the cauliflower thoroughly after washing adds moisture that will steam the florets instead of allowing them to crisp.
- *Homemade Garlic Bread Crumbs: Add 1 Tbsp. olive oil to a small sauté pan over medium heat. Add 1 garlic clove finely minced and cook about 30 seconds until fragrant. Add 1/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs (or homemade breadcrumbs) and cook until they just start to turn golden. Season with salt and pepper to taste, mix well and remove from the heat.
My cauliflower pizza, while different from Anthony’s, with both caramelized cauliflower and onions was a success. With store bought dough, the pizza came together quickly. It takes 5 – 10 minutes to prep the vegetables and about 20 minutes to roast them. Baking the pizza takes another 15 minutes for about 45 minutes total. This is not much different than ordering a pizza and having it delivered. Now the next time I’m craving a white pizza with cauliflower, I’ll make my own.
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Try this garlicky olive-oil roasted cauliflower pizza for dinner. The cauliflower develops a nutty, rich flavor with crunchy caramelized bits after roasting on the sheet pan with onions. The vegetables become crisp and charred on the edges adding to the overall goodness of the anything but ordinary pizza. Enjoy and know that this meatless pizza is not only a healthy but delicious option for pizza night.
I can easily imagine how delicious this must be, Karen. I love cauliflower and think it’s often not appreciated as much as it should be. Roasting is such a great way to cook it – and who can resist a good pizza!
This is such a great idea. I’ll give it a try soon! 🙂
I must try this savory white pizza with roasted, caramelized cauliflower and onions! It sounds fabulous and I have most of the ingredients to hand, including 00 flour and yeast. I’ve got a pizza stone, which definitely makes a difference to home made pizza and I bake the dough blind for a few minutes beforehand, because I like a crispy crust.
What a nice twist! 👏🏻
Oh my, this looks so good, it is making me hungry. (and we just had a nice dinner!) I must try it.
wow, this pizza looks so delicious. I love roasted cauliflower and garlic, so this appeals to me.
wow, this pizza looks so delicious. I love roasted cauliflower and garlic, so this appeals to me.
I love pizza, and this looks absolutely delicious. Wow!
Crispy roasted cauliflower is so good alone but even better on a pizza. Can’t wait to try your recipe. Healthy World Cuisine
I’m going to try this, it looks delicious and I love that it’s vegetarian.
I would love a slice (or two or three) of this. You can’t go wrong with roasted cauliflower, especially when it can be appreciated for what it is, instead of trying to make it into something else. Cauliflower pizza crust? No. Cauliflower on top of pizza? Yes!
Karen the pizza looks amazing! I wish I had a slice (or 2) for dinner tonight. We drive 60 miles for our favorite pizza, but we have appointments often in the city. I am saving this recipe and thank you for sharing!
Such a delicious idea, Karen! The cauliflower white pizza looks wonderfully golden, cheesy, and really inviting.
I think i’ve made a similar recipe in the past. So good! I much prefer white pizzas as i am not a tomato fan by any means 🙂
cheers
sherry https://sherryspickings.blogspot.com/
Fantastic idea, Karen. My friends Susan and Towny often use a cauliflower crust but I love my pizza dough and this is a great compromise!
Wow! And I am not a pizza person 🙂 ! Love the look and all the ingredients . . . this must be tried and the recipe sent to others to try . . . thanks heaps . . . hope both your husband and you on an onward and upward path . . .
Looks delish.
Well Karen, your recipe is a slice of happiness!
That crust is just terrific!
Great tips! I don’t think I would share this 😉
I love roasted cauliflower and I would have a hard time having just 2 slices. I bet you have Anthony’s pizza beat with your creation!
Is there any left over? I would love this pizza! Thank you for the recipe!
ooooooooo I love this! White pizzas are so good anyway!
I love the crust, now I’m hungry for pizza!
This looks delicious! I think I’ve only ever made pizza once, and considering that I cook almost daily (one of my main hobbies), I don’t know why I haven’t made it more often. As a vegetarian, this is right up my street. Thank you for the recipe.
oh my goodness! This is a keeper, delicious.🤤
What a great way to use cauliflower Karen. Sounds delicious!
Wonderful recipe, Karen! I have not had roasted cauliflower pizza!
This sounds so good to me, Karen. I have cauliflower coming tomorrow in my produce box and I think this recipe is a good contender. I do prefer veggie pizza. This is a winner!
It looks delicious and decadent without a ton of guilt.
I’ve never head of this but it looks amazing, Karen. I’m excited to try it. I think Publix has premade dough in the bakery section so I’ll check it out the next time I’m in there. It would make for such a delicious meal. Hugs, CoCo
The garlicky breadcrumbs and Pecorino finish sound like the perfect crunchy, salty contrast to the melty mozzarella. Definitely a recipe I’d try on a night when I want something comforting but light.
Pity we can’t just grab a slice off the screen 😁. This looks truly delicious.
How could I not love this, when the ingredient list is also a list of many of my favorite foods! Caramelized cauliflower, onions, cheese, garlic breadcrumbs – you don’t have to ask me twice!
We absolutely adore cauliflower so I already know this pizza will be delicious! I wish my oven could reach 750° F for that pizzeria-like crust, but sadly it does not. I think I will try this combination!
What timing to see this post on cauliflower pizza. I was just at one of my fave pizzerias, where the chef had a new creation on the menu — Detroit-style with vadouvan curry and cauliflower on top. Wow, was it ever good. Cauliflower is just so versatile.