Let’s get this out of the way first – IS this actually a pizza? It’s on a cauliflower pizza crust, so that certainly leans towards “yes”, but there’s no cheese, and no sauce, typically two big “no’s”. Regardless of whether you land on calling this a pizza, or prefer to call it a flatbread, it’s delicious, low calorie and low carb – perfect as a light meal for those watching their weight but equally at home as a party appetizer. So why not taste it before putting a name to it?

Ingredients (8 servings)

• 1 large yellow onion
• 1 bell pepper
• 1 medium zucchini
• 1 pre-made cauliflower crust
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp light brown sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

Caramelized Onion

To caramelize the onion, set the butter and brown sugar in a medium saucepan over low heat. While they’re melting, slice the onion into thin, consistent slices. Add the onion and toss to coat. Add a pinch or two of fresh black pepper (or a few twists from a pepper mill) and stir again. Then leave it be, stirring only occasionally, for about an hour.

Depending on your stove top, you might need to adjust your heat up or down slightly, but you’re looking for a deep caramel color, with still very soft and moist onions. If they start to brown before they caramelize, you’re heating it too quickly.

For more details about caramelizing an onion, check out my recipe for Turkey Meatloaf with Caramelized Onions.

Roasting Vegetables

Give the onion at least a 30 minute head start (but it’s also fine to give it much longer… you can let that onion caramelize low and slow for a few hours if you’d like). But the key is, once you feel like you’re within a half an hour from having a finished caramelized onion, it’s time to start on the roasted vegetables.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees, and prepare a cooking sheet with foil and cooking spray. The recipe calls for one bell pepper (any color but green) and one zucchini. But We’ve substituted various mushrooms and/or summer squash for either the pepper or the zucchini several times and it works just as well.

The key is to chop them into even one inch sticks. Toss them in a plastic bag with a small drizzle of olive oil (or a quick burst of cooking spray, or a squirt of water… just something to wet the vegetables and get the seasoning to stick), the tsp of salt, 1/2 tsp of pepper, and 1/4 tsp of dried basil, oregano, garlic powder and onion powder.

Spread on the baking sheet and cook for 10 minutes, then flip and cook for another 8-10 minutes until well roasted (nice blackened marks, not burned).

Putting It All Together

Begin by preparing a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper or foil and cooking spray. For the cauliflower pizza crust we use, we have found parchment gets a nice crust.

Spread the caramelized onion all over the frozen crust from edge to edge. In the event that your caramelize onion seems too watery? Momentarily turn the stove top heat up to high and cook a bit of the moisture off, stirring constantly. If your onion has been overcooked? Hit it with a tablespoon of hot tap water and and stir for 30 seconds.

Begin to arrange the vegetables in a circle around the outer edge of the pizza, alternating between pepper and zucchini. Once you’ve made a complete outer ring, make an inner ring, and then finish in the center. In all likelihood you’ll have a few pieces left over. Use those to swap out pieces you’re not happy with the fill in the gaps.

Baking

The crust bakes at 425 degrees, so you don’t have to touch the oven after you’ve removed the roasting vegetables. Simply cook the pizza for seven minutes, then rotate it 180 degrees and cook for another 7 minutes.

Remove, and cut with a pizza cutter.

A typical serving would be between 2-4 slices per person. We often just cut the pizza into four slices when splitting it for dinner.

Roasted Vegetable & Caramelized Onion Pizza

May 26, 2019

by Frank Mastrandrea

Category Recipes

Regardless of whether you land on calling this a pizza or a flatbread, it’s a delicious lower calorie and carbs alternative to traditional sauce and cheese fare. It works great as a light meal for those watching their weight but is equally at home as an appetizer for a family meal or summer party. So why not taste it before you put a name to it?

Persons

8

Ingredients

• 1 large yellow onion
• 1 bell pepper
• 1 medium zucchini
• 1 pre-made cauliflower crust
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp light brown sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

Instructions

CARAMELIZE THE ONION

1. Melt butter and brown sugar in a medium saucepan over low heat. Slice the onion into thin, consistent slices and add to pan with a pinch or two of black pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally for an hour or until golden brown but still soft.

ROAST THE VEGETABLES

1. After giving onion a 30 minute (at least) head start, preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Chop pepper and zucchini into one-inch strips.
3. Prepare a baking sheet with foil and cooking spray
4. Toss chopped vegetables with drizzle of olive oil, salt, pepper, basil, oregano, onion powder and garlic powder.
5. Roast for 10 minutes, flip, and roast for another 10 until beginning to blister, but not burn.

PREPARE THE PIZZA

1. For the pizza, prepare a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper or foil and cooking spray. For the cauliflower pizza crust we use, we have found parchment gets a nice crust.
2. Spread the caramelized onion all over the frozen crust from edge to edge.
3. Begin to arrange the vegetables in a circle around the outer edge of the pizza, alternating between pepper and zucchini.
4. Once you’ve made a complete outer ring, make an inner ring, and then finish in the center.
5. Bake for seven minutes at 425 degrees, rotate 180 degrees and bake another 7 minutes.
6. so you don’t have to touch the oven after you’ve removed the roasting vegetables. Simply cook the pizza for seven minutes, then rotate it 180 degrees and cook for another 7 minutes.
7. Remove, and cut into four even pieces with a pizza cutter.

Nutrition Facts

Roasted Vegetable & Caramelized Onion Pizza

Serves: 8 Slices

Amount Per Serving:
Calories		102
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 5 g		7.7%
	Saturated Fat 3 g	15%
	Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 13 mg		4.3%
Sodium 346 mg		14.4%
Total Carbohydrate 12 g		4%
	Dietary Fiber 1 g	4%
	Sugars 3 g
Protein 4 g

Vitamin A		Vitamin C
Calcium		Iron

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Lighten Up!

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