This low carb cauliflower pizza features a topping of olives, rocket grana padano and prosciutto for a dreamy low carb pizza.
The golden, delicious base is made with a surprising ingredient: cauliflower! IT's flavoured with more of that gorgeous Italian hard cheese and combined with eggs to bind, the result is a delightfully bread-like base, with crispy edges and a delicate flavour.
When we think 'pizza', a certain European country is bound to spring to mind, but it's not just the dish itself we have Italy to thank for. Some of the most incredible meats and cheeses you can buy are produced on Italian soil, which in turn makes for some of the dreamiest pizza toppings around.
For this recipe, I've used flavour-packed Italian hard cheese along with sweetly succulent prosciutto.
I love to discover new ways to enjoy classics, so I've mixed things up a little by making this pizza very low carb. How? With a cauliflower crust!
For sweetness, the base is spread with a simple basil and cherry tomato sauce, while salty olives with peppery rocket further compliment the ruffled roses of prosciutto and dainty shavings of yet more cheese.
Ingredients
- 1 cauliflower head
- 1 large free range eggs
- 60 g (2.1 oz) Italian hard cheese
- 300 g (10.6 oz) fresh cherry tomatoes
- 1 handful fresh basil
- 1 tbsp olive oil plus more to dress, if desired
- 1 handful fresh rocket (arugula)
- 1 handful black olives
- 4 slices prosciutto
- 1 tbsp balsamic glaze
- 1 pinch salt and black pepper
Equipment
Instructions
Cut and floret the cauliflower, then tip into a food processor.
Blitz the cauliflower until fine. You may need to scrape the sides down once or twice as you go.
Put the cauliflower into a dry frying pan over a medium-low heat and dry fry for around 15 minutes until all excess water is gone. Keep an eye on it and keep stirring, as it can burn easily once the moisture starts to escape. Set aside to cool completely.
When the cauliflower has cooled, place it a mixing bowl along with two thirds of the hard cheese finely grated and the egg.
Mix well until evenly combined, then tip onto the centre of a baking tray lined with baking paper.
Press the mixture out to form an oblong about 1/2 cm thick, using your hands to shape, then press down firmly over the whole base.
Bake for 30-35 minutes at 180C/355F (160C/320F fan).
Flip the base over carefully and bake for a further 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, slice the cherry tomatoes into quarters and add them to a frying pan along with the chopped basil, olive oil and 1 tbsp of water.
Cook on a medium-low heat for about 10 minutes until the sauce reduces.
When the cauliflower base is ready, transfer to a board and spread with the tomato sauce.
Sprinkle with rocket.
Tear the Prosciutto slices in half lengthways, form into rose-like bundles and add to the pizza.
Next, scatter over the olives, and shave the remaining cheese on top generously.
Drizzle a little balsamic glaze, if desired, season with salt and pepper, cut into slices and enjoy!
Let me know if you make it!
What are your favourite Italian pizza toppings?
Print this low carb pizza recipe
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Low Carb Cauliflower Pizza Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cauliflower head
- 1 large free range eggs
- 60 g (2.1 oz) Italian hard cheese
- 300 g (10.6 oz) fresh cherry tomatoes
- 1 handful fresh basil
- 1 tbsp olive oil plus more to dress, if desired
- 1 handful fresh rocket (arugula)
- 1 handful black olives
- 4 slices prosciutto
- 1 tbsp balsamic glaze
- 1 pinch salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Cut and floret the cauliflower and place it in a blender.
- Blitz the cauliflower until fine.
- Put the cauliflower into a frying pan and dry fry for around 15 minutes until all excess water is gone. Keep an eye on it, and keep stirring, as it can burn easily.
- While you leave the cauliflower to cool cut up the cherry tomatoes and add them to a frying pan along with the chopped basil, 1 tbsp of olive oil and 1 tbsp of water.
- Cook on a medium-low heat for 15 minutes until the sauce reduces.
- When the cauliflower has cooled place it a mixing bowl along with 2/3 cheese finely grated and the egg.
- Mix well and place on the centre of a baking tray lined with baking paper.
- Press the mixture out to the edges of the tray using your hands to shape, then press down firmly over the whole base.
- Bake for 35 minutes at 180C/355F (160C/320F fan).
- Flip the base over and give it another 10 minutes in the oven.
- Place on to a board and add the tomato sauce.
- Sprinkle with rocket.
- Fold the Prosciutto into bundles and add.
- Sprinkle over olives, shave the remaining cheese and dot around the pizza.
- Drizzle a little balsamic glaze over the pizza and cut into slices. Enjoy!
Video
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Janet Yarwood says
How can something sound so wrong but look so right? I would never ask for a pizza made with cauliflower but this looks amazing. I'm very tempted to give it a try
Stephanie Merry says
I love the idea of this! Never thought of using cauliflower as a pizza base before x
Tanya says
I would be all over that Grana Padano and the Proscuitto but personally I'm not a cauliflower lover. My mum however is obsessed with it and loves making pizza from scratch so I'll definitely be sending her this recipe
Emily Leary says
You don't really taste the cauliflower, weirdly. Hope your mum enjoys :D
Ana De- Jesus says
I have been dying to try cauliflower crust pizza for ages and this version looks like a slice of heaven mmm!
Rhian Westbury says
This sounds like exactly my kind of pizza but I've never tried making a cauliflour pizza before x
Sarah Bailey says
Yum, this pizza looks like such a delicious and healthy dish. I am so intrigued by the many ways cauliflower is being used to sub in as a healthier alternative in so many recipes now.
Harriet from Toby & Roo says
Oh gawdddd this looks insanely good! I really need to have something like this in my life - I'm trying to cut carbs!
Susanna | Ordinality says
How is that base so perfect?!! I've tried cauliflower crust a few times, but just never get it right. I love the combo of toppings as well, but seriously obsessed with that base!
Megan at Lush to Blush says
This sounds delicious and the presentation is beautiful!!
Joanna says
I shouldn't have looked at your article right before dinner. The pizza looks amazing and I am intrigued by the cauliflower and parmigiano base. It must be so crunchy and delicious!