-Free Food: Gluten-Free Pizza Night

by Kendra Vaculin

DISH: Gluten-Free Pizza
TYPE: Party food! Homemade, slightly homemade, or cheating (if you throw away the box, no one will know)
DIETARY RESTRICTION: Gluten-free

Once I decide I want to throw a pizza party, there’s really no stopping me. I think it’s the years of grade school competitions and exasperated teacher bribes that did it; selling the most wrapping paper or actually being quiet during Silent Reading meant we were rewarded with stacks of extra-large half cheese/half pepperoni, so pizza is inherently tied to excitement in my mind. Pizza = party. That’s just the way it goes. And sometimes “party” means sharing with everyone you know, and sometimes it means splitting an entire pie with your boyfriend. Whatever. Things happen.

Whether you have all day to plan for a pizza dinner or exactly five minutes, there are tons of ways to get that grade school staple on the table, and even without any wheat products. While I don’t follow a strict gluten-free diet, having a number of friends who are gluten intolerant or who have Celiac disease has made me much more aware of awesome gluten-free alternatives to my favorite gluten-ous foods. My friend Josh, baker extraordinaire and gluten-free champion, is the master of substitute flours, and it was from him that I learned the following dough recipe. Whether you’re homemaking your pizza from the crust up, sticking to toppings, or calling your favorite delivery guy, know that it’s totally possible to do so on a gluten-free diet.

Kendra Vaculin is a junior at Northwestern University. She drinks waaaaayyy too many London Fogs and is the proud owner of a new panini press. Gluten-free grilled cheese, whaddup.

**Recipes**

Walnut-Spinach Pesto and Mushroom Gluten-Free Pizza
Makes one 12 – 15 inch round

Ingredients
4 packed cups fresh spinach
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more to taste
1/3 cup grated parmesan
½ cup chopped walnuts
2 cloves garlic, minced
the juice of ½ lemon
salt and pepper
1 package (8 oz.) sliced mushrooms
1 round Gluten-Free Pizza Dough (see recipe and options below)
1 ¾ cups shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 400°F.

In a food processor or blender, mix spinach, ¼ cup olive oil, parmesan, walnuts, garlic and lemon until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add more olive oil for a thinner texture, or less for more of a paste.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat in a small skillet. Add sliced mushrooms and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Sauté until brown and soft. Remove from heat.

Place round of pizza dough on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Cover with a layer of pesto, leaving an edge for crust. Top with shredded mozzarella, followed by sautéed mushrooms.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until crust is golden and cheese is melted. Let cool before slicing into wedges.

Gluten-Free Pizza Dough
Makes one 12 – 15 inch round

Less cake-y than average pizza dough, this recipe is baking soda-based rather than yeast-based, cutting back on prep time and yielding a really delicious crust.

Ingredients
1 ½ cup rice flour
½ cup tapioca starch
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons dried herbs (I loved 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon basil)
dash of salt
½ cup oil

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add oil and 2/3 cups water and mix until just combined, with an electric mixer or your hands.

Turn dough onto a greased or parchment paper lined baking sheet. Stretch and mold into a 12 – 15 inch round.

Bake for 5 minutes until set.

Allow dough to cool before topping and baking again.

OR: Buy gluten-free dough from a local bakery or pizza parlor! Cover with your favorite toppings and bake according to the bakery or restaurant’s instructions. I bought mine from Rose’s Wheat Free Bakery in Evanston, IL (they ship dough nation-wide!), and topped it with a olive tapenade tomato sauce, fresh and shredded mozzarellas, chopped tomatoes and fresh oregano.

OR: Order take out! Some great locations that are happy to do all the gluten-free work for you: Domino’s, Amici’s, Homemade Pizza Company, Zpizza. Comment if you have a good gluten-free pizza place near you!

Recipe Index Keywords:

Categories: Dietarily Restricted and Recipes.
Cooking Method: In the Oven.
Mealtime: Dinner.
I'm Cooking For...: Easy Dinner.
Type of Food: Vegetarian.
I Don't Eat: Gluten.