Creamy Double Broccoli Pizza
adapted from A Beautiful Mess
Makes 2 medium pizzas
Ingredients
- 8-12 oz. head broccoli, stalk removed
- 4 cloves garlic
- 3 tbsp. salted butter
- 2 tbsp. flour
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup whole milk, as needed
- 1 lb. pizza dough*
- 3-4 cups shredded mozzarella
- crushed red pepper
Instructions
- Chop half of the broccoli crown into a medium dice (much smaller than bite size; each floret should be about the size of a dime). Set aside to use as pizza toppings.
- In a food processor chop the other half of the broccoli crown with the garlic until very fine.
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk to form a paste. Slowly stream in about half of the cream, whisking constantly, until a thick but smooth sauce forms.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the broccoli-garlic mixture and remaining cream. The mixture will probably be quite thick at this point. If it is not spreadable, return the pan to low heat and whisk in milk, a few tablespoons at a time, until the sauce thins enough to spread with a spoon. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Place a baking stone or large cookie sheet into the oven. Heat the oven to 500°.
- Divide the pizza dough in half. Roll or press the first half out to a 14" circle. Place the dough on a cornmeal-covered pizza peel or a sheet of parchment, to facilitate sliding the pizza into the oven.
- Spread the crust with half of the sauce, followed by half of the cheese and half of the diced broccoli.
- Slide the pizza onto the heated stone and bake for 10 minutes.
- Repeat with the remaining crust, sauce, cheese, and broccoli.
- Top the pizzas with crushed red pepper, to taste.
Notes
*This Classic Pizza Crust recipe is superb, and can be made in an afternoon. It also may be made a day ahead and refrigerated overnight, as long as you remember to punch it down once or twice while it rises.
Or, for a stellar, no-effort overnight pizza crust, try Jim Lahey's recipe!
