{"id":1426,"date":"2014-07-29T02:54:23","date_gmt":"2014-07-29T06:54:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fornobravo.com\/pizzaquest\/2014\/07\/29\/this-zucchini-pepperoni-pizza\/"},"modified":"2015-07-15T22:36:26","modified_gmt":"2015-07-16T02:36:26","slug":"this-zucchini-pepperoni-pizza","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fornobravo.com\/pizzaquest\/this-zucchini-pepperoni-pizza\/","title":{"rendered":"This Zucchini Pepperoni Pizza"},"content":{"rendered":"

You only thought you didn’t have any pepperoni in the fridge!<\/p>\n

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Sliced zucchini with a little pepperoni lift…<\/p><\/div>\n

They say pepperoni is the most popular pizza topping in the United States. \u00a0I’m sure that the vast majority of that comes on delivery pizzas and your local town or chain pizzerias. \u00a0When we think of artisan pizza, pepperoni isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. \u00a0In fact, it’s the opposite\u2026you’ll almost never see pepperoni on any artisan pizzas. \u00a0Instead you’ll see a variety of salted cured pork delicacies on the menu such as seasoned Salumi like Calabrese or Finocchiona as well as sopressatas, prosciuttos or other gourmet cured items.<\/span><\/p>\n

When you think about your favorite wood fired pizza, or artisan coal fired, or brick oven pizza, it’s the dough and the charred bubbles on the crust and then the amazing “new” variety of gourmet toppings that will lay on top of the deliciously warm, soft and crusty dough. \u00a0When I am ordering at my family’s favorite local pizzeria I will almost always choose salami instead of pepperoni. \u00a0Truth be told here, I do lose that battle with my kids once in a while. <\/span><\/p>\n

When I do, I’ll admit I secretly love my pepperoni pizza! \u00a0I particularly love when the edges get crispy and fold up giving a little crunch to the salty spicy bite you are enjoying. \u00a0I also love how the pepperoni juice becomes part of the sauce of the pizza. When I have a pepperoni pizza I always remember why it’s the number one topping in America. \u00a0It’s good stuff.<\/p>\n

So, what do you do when you have a pepperoni craving and no pepperoni? \u00a0You improvise! \u00a0I made some home made pepperoni one time and then had the idea to use those spices and seasonings to make up pepperoni flavored broccoli stalks. \u00a0*Link to recipe here. \u00a0Why stop with just broccoli stalks? \u00a0They were great, but let’s give it a whirl with some zucchini I have sitting here. \u00a0For this pepperoni pizza, I also thought about gourmet-ing it up using “artisan pizza” ingredients. \u00a0Check it out…<\/p>\n

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The Zucchini Pepperoni<\/h3>\n

– 1-2 Zucchinis thinly sliced<\/p>\n

– Olive Oil *Approx. 1-2 Tablespoons<\/p>\n

– Rice Wine Vinegar \u00a0*Approx. 1\/2 Tablespoon<\/p>\n

– Paprika *Approx. 1 1\/2 tablespoons<\/p>\n

– Garlic Powder *Approx 1\/2 Tablespoon<\/p>\n

– Ground Red Pepper Flakes *Approx 1\/2 Tablespoon<\/p>\n

– Ground Mustard Seed *Approx 1\/2 Tablespoon<\/p>\n

– A little Cayenne Pepper<\/p>\n

– Ground Black Pepper<\/p>\n

– Salt<\/p>\n

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Saute the zucchini and set aside to use on the pizza.<\/p><\/div>\n

*Note: \u00a0I have been making this by “eye”. \u00a0These amounts are approximate. \u00a0Start with less and add more of each as needed per your taste. \u00a0Mix it all together and taste one. \u00a0Adjust and taste again until you have it where you like it. \u00a0I simplified this a little from my broccoli pepperoni where I used a few more ingredients. \u00a0*LINK<\/p>\n

Slice the zucchini. \u00a0Add the olive oil and spices and mix.<\/p>\n

Saute them in a pan, or in the oven for a few minutes to get them on their way. \u00a0They will finish on the pizza. \u00a0Set aside.<\/p>\n

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To keep things interesting and not vegetarian (“Not that there’s anything wrong with that!”), I slipped in some Italian and Andouille Sausage I had in the fridge! <\/span><\/p>\n

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A little saut\u00e9ed Sausage, Mushroom and Red Onion for good measure:<\/h3>\n
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I’m having a ball with this topping. A little of everything saut\u00e9ed together and you can pick any of it out to use as a topping.<\/p><\/div>\n

– Olive Oil<\/p>\n

– Chopped Garlic<\/p>\n

– Sausage broken into bits<\/p>\n

– Sliced Mushrooms<\/p>\n

– Chopped Red Onions<\/p>\n

– Salt and Pepper to taste<\/p>\n

Place in the oven, or in a pan and saut\u00e9 until the sausage is just cooked through. \u00a0Leave a little room for it to continue to cook on your pizza. \u00a0The mushrooms and onions will also cook down, but have something left for the bake on the pizza.<\/p>\n

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This Zucchini Pepperoni Pizza:<\/h1>\n

– Your favorite Pizza Dough – It better be one of Peter’s recipes!<\/span><\/p>\n

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For this pizza I used my pepperoni spiced zucchini along with the sausage saut\u00e9 and came up with a winner!<\/p><\/div>\n

– Olive Oil<\/p>\n

– Peter’s crushed tomato sauce<\/p>\n

– Grated Mozzarella<\/p>\n

– A little sliced fresh mozzarella<\/p>\n

– Sauteed Pepperoni Zucchini<\/p>\n

– Sauteed Sausage, Mushrooms and Onions<\/p>\n

– Chopped Italian Parsley to finish<\/p>\n

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Spread your dough<\/p>\n

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Coming out of the oven…<\/p><\/div>\n

Cover with the tomato sauce and grated mozz<\/p>\n

Layer with a little of the S-M-O mixture and the pepperoni zucchini slices<\/p>\n

Tear some of the fresh mozzarella to add a little creaminess to the cheese. <\/span>*I love the way the hard mozzarella blends with the softer fresh mozzarella giving it two textures and a creamy milkiness you don’t get with just grated mozzarella.<\/span><\/p>\n

Into the oven. \u00a0In this case, I was using my Primavera WFO. \u00a0Writing this I can smell the wood and smoke as the pizza began to come to life in there! \u00a0In a few turns in the oven, about 90 seconds and a lift into the dome this pizza is ready to go.<\/p>\n

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A little torn Italian Parsley to finish it off – after a drizzle of olive oil, of course.<\/p><\/div>\n

Tasting notes:<\/h3>\n

The savory sausage and mushrooms went nicely with the juicy spicy\u00a0zucchini <\/span>pepperoni on this pie. There’s also a subtle milkiness that the soft mozzarella brings through the cheese layers giving balance to the toppings and sauce.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Enjoy!<\/p>\n

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