Cheesy Pepper & Mushroom Pizza
Submitted by nghilotti
A homemade pepper and mushroom pizza on a from-scratch yeast crust, spread with a creamy blended cottage cheese and Parmesan sauce instead of red sauce, then loaded with mozzarella. A lighter, veggie-packed pie.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
30 hrsCOOK
20 minREADY
1 hrsThis veggie pizza skips the usual tomato sauce for something a little different: a creamy, blended cottage cheese base that’s high in protein and lighter than it tastes.
It starts with a real from-scratch yeast crust. The dough rises, then gets rolled into a 14-inch round on a cornmeal-dusted pan, the cornmeal giving the bottom that signature pizzeria crunch.
A quick pre-bake firms the crust so it doesn’t go soggy under the toppings.
The ‘sauce’ is the clever part: cottage cheese blended smooth with egg, Parmesan, basil, and garlic, spread over the hot crust like a creamy ricotta layer.
Then come the mushrooms and rings of sweet pepper, topped with shredded mozzarella, and back into the hot oven until everything is melted and bubbling.
It’s a satisfying, vegetable-forward pizza that proves you don’t always need red sauce.
Pro Tips
- Pre-bake the crust about 10 minutes, as the recipe directs, so it stays crisp under the creamy topping.
- Blend the cottage cheese until completely smooth for a sauce-like layer with no curds.
- Slice the mushrooms thin so they cook through and shed their moisture during the short final bake.
Variations
- Add red sauce under the cottage cheese layer for a classic red-and-white pizza.
- Pile on more vegetables: onion, olives, spinach, or artichoke.
- Use a red bell pepper instead of green, as the recipe allows, for a sweeter bite.
Ingredients
Directions
For crust, mix ¾ cup of the flour, the yeast, sugar, and ¼ teaspoon salt.
Add oil and ½ cup warm water (120-130 deg).
Beat with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, scraping the bowl.
Beat on high speed 3 minutes.
Stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.
Then, knead in enough remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (5 minutes total).
Shape into a ball.
Place in a greased bowl; turn once.
Cover; let rise in a warm place until double (about 30 minutes).
Punch down.
Cover; let rest 10 minutes.
On a floured surface roll dough into a 14 inch circle.
Place on a pizza pan sprayed with non stick cooking spray and sprinkled with cornmeal.
Build up edges slightly.
Bake crust in 425℉ (220℃) F oven about 10 minutes or lightly browned.
In a blender combine cottage cheese, egg, parmesan cheese, basil, garlic, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper.
Cover; blend until smooth.
Spread over hot crust.
Cut green pepper into rings.
Place atop pizza with mushrooms.
Sprinkle with Mozzarella.
Bake in 425℉ (220℃) oven until hot.
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