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Round zucchini crust pizza topped with melted mozzarella and cherry tomatoes, one wedge lifted to show the firm green-flecked base

Zucchini Crust Pizza

A pizza built on a crust of grated zucchini, egg and cheese instead of dough. Salt it, squeeze it dry and bake the base hot, and it holds a slice flat in your hand.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Draining Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 300
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the crust
  • 2 medium zucchini, coarsely grated about 450 g
  • 1 teaspoon fine salt for drawing out the water
  • 1 large egg
  • 60 g finely grated parmesan about 1/2 cup
  • 60 g shredded low-moisture mozzarella about 1/2 cup
  • 40 g all-purpose flour about 1/3 cup
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
For the top
  • 60 ml pizza sauce or passata about 1/4 cup
  • 100 g shredded low-moisture mozzarella about 1 cup
  • 10 cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • fresh basil to finish

Method
 

  1. Grate the zucchini on the coarse side of a box grater, skin on. Toss with the salt in a colander set over a bowl and leave for 15 minutes. Liquid should be visibly collecting in the bowl by the ten-minute mark.
  2. Tip the zucchini into the centre of a clean tea towel, gather the corners and twist hard over the sink. Keep twisting until no more runs out, then twist once more. The pile should shrink to roughly half its original volume.
  3. Heat the oven to 450F (230C) and line a 9-inch (23 cm) tin with parchment. Combine the drained zucchini, egg, parmesan, the 60 g of mozzarella, flour, oregano and pepper. Taste before adding more salt. The mixture should clump when pressed in your hand.
  4. Tip the mixture into the tin and press it down firmly and evenly, right to the edges, building the rim slightly thicker than the middle.
  5. Bake the crust alone on the lower shelf at 450F (230C) for 20 minutes, with nothing on top. It is ready when the edge has browned, the surface looks dry rather than glossy, and the round slides when you shake the tin.
  6. Drop the oven to 400F (200C). Spread the sauce thinly leaving a clear border, scatter over the remaining mozzarella and arrange the tomatoes cut side up. Bake 10 minutes, until the cheese has melted and blistered in places.
  7. Leave it in the tin for 5 minutes before slicing, then finish with olive oil and basil. Cutting it straight from the oven gives you a scoop rather than a slice.

Notes

Draining is the whole recipe. If little liquid comes out when you twist the towel, the zucchini was not salted long enough. Go back and give it the full 15 minutes.
Make ahead: bake the crust up to 2 days in advance, cool completely and refrigerate uncovered on a rack. Top and finish at 400F (200C) for 10 to 12 minutes. Covering a warm crust makes it sweat.
Freezing: baked, untopped crusts freeze for up to 2 months. Top from frozen and add about 5 minutes.
Binder swaps: breadcrumbs give the crispest edge, oat flour keeps it gluten free, almond flour works for low carb. Coconut flour needs only a third of the amount.
Nutrition is an estimate calculated from standard ingredient values, not a laboratory analysis. It varies with the size of your zucchini and the cheese you use.