Beet crust pear and prosciutto pizza! Welp, we made it to week two of Healthy Eats in January. I am sure all the resolutions are still going strong! 😉 This pizza is grain free, dairy free and paleo approved! It’s perfect for your weekend pizza craving fix that you can actually feel good about eating. None of those silly feelings of remorse, regret and self-loathing! (from the food at least) 🙂
Is it summer yet?? Ha-ha, not even close here in Chicago! We didn’t have it too bad thus far, but its cold now and the next few months it can be especially brutal! That’s why we need plenty of comforting foods to ease the pain of those winter blues! Just because the temps are below freezing doesn’t mean your comfort foods have to include heavy, empty calorie, cheese laden dishes. These will just weigh you down and make you bluer for these next few months!
One of my favorite comfort foods any time of year is pizza on the weekends! Reminds me of childhood. But especially comforting when you don’t want to leave your house and stay bundled on the couch. But what I really enjoy doing is satisfying my pizza craving with a much healthier take on it!
My newest creation is this beet crust pizza, with a dairy free walnut spinach pesto, sautéed pears, caramelized onions, almond ricotta, prosciutto and arugula!
Excuse me, I just had to wipe the drool off my keyboard! It’s a perfect Saturday night meal! Perfectly pairs with a nice big ol’ glass of wine (that’ll warm you up right quick). It does take some prep but totally worth it!
The beautiful un-cooked beet crust is ready for her close up! Roast the beets the night before.
Simple, delicious and nutritious walnut spinach pesto! Make it a couple days ahead to make life easier!
So, come Saturday you will be sipping on your cab in-between bites of your pizza in your footy pjs!
Here’s to pizza, wine and pjs in January! Hey, only around 143 days until Summer, we got this or at least we got this pizza!
Enjoy,
Diane
- For the Crust:
- Two large red beets
- ⅓ cup coconut flour
- ⅓ cup arrowroot flour
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- For the Pesto:
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
- ½ cup walnuts
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 lemon (zest and juice)
- 1 tsp. salt
- fresh cracked black pepper
- 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp. of honey
- ½ cup olive oil plus 3 to 4 tbsp.
- For the Toppings:
- Two pears (not completely ripe, still firm)
- 1 package of prosciutto
- 1 medium red onion
- 1 8oz. package of Kite Hill Almond Ricotta
- ½ cup of unsweetened almond milk or lite coconut milk
- For the pesto:
- In the bowl of a food processor or blender place your walnuts, garlic cloves, spinach, basil, half of the olive oil, lemon zest and juice. Blend or pulse until all combined. Drizzle the rest of the olive oil with the machine running to smooth out until your desired consistency is reached. Add salt, pepper and red pepper flakes and honey. Mix to combine. Pesto can be made a few days ahead of time and stored in an air-tight container in the fridge.
- For the crust:
- Roast the beets and Caramelize the onions.
- Beets can be roasted a day or two ahead of time. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Rinse and scrub outside of beets, place each beet in a foil square, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Lightly close foil around the beets, allowing steam to escape.
- Place on baking sheet and roast for around 60 minutes until fork tender.
- While the beets roast, slice the onions thin and heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet. Caramelize the onions, stir occasionally so they don't over brown. Cook for about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat and place in a bowl and set aside. (or cover and store in fridge up to 2 days ahead of time.)
- When the beets are cool so you can handle, rub the beets in-between paper towels to remove the skin. Slice the tip off and the bottom.
- Slice into pieces and place in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped and no large pieces remain.
- Wrap beet puree in cheesecloth and or paper towels over a bowl and squeeze out as much of the beet juice as possible. Reserve for another use.
- Pre-heat oven to 475 degrees. Place your pizza pan, stone or sheet in the oven while it pre-heats.
- In a medium bowl add the beets, egg and salt. Stir to combine.
- Add the flours and the baking soda and stir with spoon or mix with your hands until a dough forms.
- Line your work surface with parchment paper and place dough ball in center. Press down gently. Add another piece of parchment paper on top and gently roll out into around a 10 inch circle to about ¼ of inch thick.
- Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.
- When oven is pre-heated, carefully pull pan out of oven and pull pizza crust onto pan. Place back in the oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
- While the crust is baking, sauté and caramelize pears.
- Slice pears about ¼ of inch to ⅛ inch thick. Heat pan with a tablespoon of olive oil or ghee. Add pears to the pan and sprinkle with salt, stirring occasionally.
- After about 10 minutes remove pears from pan and set aside. Flip the pizza crust and bake for an additional 5 to 6 minutes.
- Assemble the Pizza:
- Mix almond ricotta with almond or coconut milk to loosen up. Add to small saucepan and gently heat for a few minutes.
- Pull pizza crust out of the oven. Using an off-set spatula or knife, evenly coat the crust with the pesto. Arrange the caramelized pears around the pizza, next add the caramelized onions, dollops of almond ricotta and top with prosciutto. Pop back in the oven for another 5 to 6 minutes.
- Lightly dress arugula with lemon juice and a spray of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- When pizza comes out of oven top with dressed arugula. Slice and eat.
- Enjoy!
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