Chickpea Pizza with Dairy Free Vodka Sauce

Posted on by llbalanced
Chickpea Pizza with Dairy Free Vodka Sauce
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    [post_title] => Chickpea Pizza with Dairy Free Vodka Sauce
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11.18

A few weeks ago, I thought I only had one love of my life.

And then, I fell hard for chickpea flour.

If you've been reading my blog, you'll recall the Mushroom Rosemary Chickpea Cake that I lauded and shared with you. As soon as the last slice disappeared, I found myself longing for its unctuous, hearty texture and golden edges. I needed more chickpea in my life, immediately if not sooner.

The little wedges I created with my previous recipe reminded me of pizza slices, and I ran with the concept.  In a romantic flurry of Italian herbs and spices, I was transported to our cooking class on the Amalfi Coast.

In the haze of my schoolgirl crush, I'm not sure why I chose to top my darling pizza with a dairy-free vodka sauce, but I couldn't be happier with the decision. Its creaminess mimics that of the cheese and the inner doughy crust, making for a truly decadent experience. Traditional vodka sauce is plugged with heavy cream, but here I use pureed cashews to achieve the same effect.

Some of you might have noticed that despite making a dairy-free sauce, I still use cheese in this recipe. I don't use a lot of dairy, because even the properly-sourced kind can tend to cause inflammation, skin conditions and allergies when consumed in excess. So I found a dairy-free sauce plus a touch of fresh mozzarella to be a nice balance. And that's what my website is all about—having options and balance. You can take or leave any part of this recipe to concoct what works best for you.

The best part about this pizza is that you only need 1 or two slices to feel completely satisfied, because chickpea flour is so high in fiber and protein. We loved this recipe so much that I made approximately four pizzas in three days.

I know I'm biased, but don't be afraid to experiment with chickpea flour. Mine arrived in a jiffy from Amazon, and it's very affordable. It does lend itself to baking in a cast-iron skillet, but those can also be purchased for less than $40 and they will last a lifetime. So basically, you're out of excuses not to have this on your table tonight!!!

chickpea pizza 1

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TOTAL TIME :
8slices
INGREDIENTS
  • Crust
  • 2 cups chickpea flour
  • ¼ cup flax meal
  • ¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil plus more for skillet
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1½ teaspoons oregano plus more for topping
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • ¼ teaspoon onion powder
  • 1¼ cup water
  • For Assembly
  • 7 ounces fresh buffalo mozzarella in water dried and sliced into ¼ inch thick rounds
  • ¼ cup olives pitted and chopped *for a dairy-free version, simple leave off cheese and top with fresh basil.
  • 5 ounces nitrate and anti-biotic free pepperoni cut into 1/4 pieces (I used Applegate Farms) * You can absolutely leave this off for vegan/vegetarian
  • 2 tablespoons Optional: grated parmesan manchego or gruyere (I used the last because it’s my favorite). This add an extra salty bite.
  • Dairy Free Vodka Sauce
  • 6 cloves roasted garlic
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • ½ cup raw cashews soaked in lukewarm water overnight
  • ½ teaspoon oregano
  • 1/3-1/2 cup water
  • pinch salt
  • 1 15 ounce can organic chopped tomatoes in sauce
DIRECTIONS
Crust
  1. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Whisk to incorporate.
  2. Cover loosely and allow to sit for 2 hours.
  3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  4. Heat a cast-iron skillet to medium high heat and add 3 tablespoons olive oil. Swirl to coat. When oil is shimmering, add chickpea crust batter and spread evenly with a spatula.
  5. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and starting to curl away from the pan.
  6. Place in the oven for 10 minutes or until the top is mostly set but still soft to touch.
  7. Remove from oven and turn heat to 450 degrees. Top crust with a generous layer of Vodka Sauce, then pepperoni pieces, then mozzarella, then olives.
  8. Place skillet back in the oven for another 10 minutes or until the mozzarella is bubbly and melted.
  9. Remove from oven and top with grated cheese and a sprinkle of oregano.
Dairy Free Vodka Sauce
  1. Combine garlic, tomato paste, cashews, oregano and salt in a high speed blender. Add water and puree until smooth. Add more water as necessary to get the ingredients moving, but just enough.
  2. Empty cashew mixture into a bowl and combine with chopped tomatoes. Season to taste.
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