Vegan Romanesco Pizza with Cashew Cream, Salsa Verde and Pine Nuts
Waitrose Weekend Columnist Elly Curshen’s zingy vegan Romanesco pizza with salsa verde and cashew cream will brighten up your dinner table.
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This recipe would suit a variety of pizza styles, but we think sourdough, neo-Neapolitan, or a classic pizza dough would be a great fit.
Make sure to prepare your dough ahead of time to ensure it rises at room temperature before firing up your oven.
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Rating:
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients
Method
Ingredients
(Servings: 4)
- 1 1 x 250-gram pizza dough balls
- For the cashew cream:
- 25 25 g cashew nuts (unroasted and unsalted)
- 0.5 0.5 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 0.5 0.5 banana (or regular) shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
- 0.5 0.5 smoked (or regular) garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
- 0.5 0.5 Tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
- 18.75 18.75 ml cold water
- For the Mediterranean salsa verde:
- Zest of one lemon
- 0.25 0.25 clove garlic, finely grated
- 0.25 0.25 Tbsp small nonpareil capers, drained
- 0.25 0.25 Tbsp sherry vinegar
- 0.25 0.25 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- Large pinch of flaky sea salt
- Large handful of basil
- Large handful each of mint
- large handful of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- 25 25 g extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as necessary
- For the topping:
- One head romanesco (or regular cauliflower), cut into small florets
- 1 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 1 Tbsp pine nuts
- Pinch of pul biber (Aleppo pepper) or chilli flakes, to taste
Method
- Fire up your Ooni pizza oven. Aim for 750-950°F (400-500°C) on the baking stone inside. Use the infrared thermometer to quickly and accurately check the temperature.
- To make the cashew cream, put the cashew nuts in a small saucepan and cover with cold water. Simmer for 5 minutes, then drain and rinse in a sieve.
- Warm a small saucepan over low heat, then add the olive oil. When it begins to shimmer, add the shallots and smoked garlic. Sauté over low heat for at least 5 minutes, or until soft and translucent. Tip the drained nuts, shallots, smoked garlic, nutritional yeast flakes and a big pinch of smoked salt into a blender or food processor. Add ⅓ cup (75 milliliters) cold water and blend until smooth, adding more water as needed to thin to the consistency of a thick double cream. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
- To make the salsa verde, tip all ingredients into a blender and pulse until well chopped and combined. Add more oil as necessary, until the salsa drops slowly off a spoon. Toss the romanesco florets with olive oil and season with sea salt.
- Place your dough ball on a lightly floured surface. Push the air from the center out toward the crust, then use your knuckles to stretch out the base to 12 inches. Lay the stretched dough over your lightly dusted pizza peel, then spread a few spoonfuls of cashew cream over the surface. Arrange the florets evenly on top, leaving the crust area clear. Sprinkle with pine nuts and pul biber, then drizzle with olive oil.
- Slide the pizza off the peel and into your oven. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, turning the peel every 20 or so seconds to ensure the pizza is evenly cooked.
- Once cooked, cut into slices, then use a teaspoon to drizzle the salsa verde over the top. Serve immediately. Repeat using the remaining dough balls.
Note: This recipe makes enough cashew cream and salsa verde for 4 pizzas. Any leftover sauce can be stored in a sealed, refrigerated container for up to 3 days.
Have you tried deep-dish pizza before?
We highly recommend you make this epic vegan Chicago deep-dish pizza!
