Broccoli Pizza with Provolone, Mozzarella, and Pecorino Romano

This broccoli pizza is a wonderful way to get in a full serving of vegetables while enjoying a slice of pizza! 

The crust on this broccoli pizza is really thin and incredibly crisp, and the combination of the cheeses, a garlicky white sauce, and the roasted broccoli is wonderfully flavorful. 

Yes, broccoli pizza is seriously and unexpectedly tasty. The crust for this pizza is so easy to make, and is based on Jim Lahey's no knead pizza dough. 

I've used a version of this dough so many times, and I promise you, it's pretty foolproof. All you need is an oiled half sheet pan (or two quarter sheet pans, which I used) and your oiled fingertips to shape the dough. 

The dough starts out very thin and ends up so crispy after baking. 

How to prepare the broccoli for this pizza:

The broccoli for this broccoli pizza is steamed for just a couple of minutes, and then plunged into cold water to stop the cooking. The broccoli is then tossed in lemon zest, lemon juice, pecorino Romano, salt, and crushed red pepper, giving it a wonderfully complex flavor. 

I can't remember the last time I made "real" white sauce, so it was pretty fun when the sauce quickly came together and "coated a spoon" (yes, I'm a cooking geek). Before baking, I sprinkled the top of the pizza with about an ounce of minced pepperoni. It was not enough to really be noticeable, but just enough to add some richness. You could add more pepperoni, or skip it if you prefer. 

I'm pretty sure that bits of ham, salami, or cooked Italian sausage would also be delicious on this pizza.

By the way, this pizza makes perfectly good leftovers reheated in the oven or toaster oven at 350 degrees F for about five to ten minutes. 

Everyone's oven is different, especially when baking at such high temperatures, so it's a good idea to keep an eye on your pizza as it is baking. I started baking mine on the middle rack of my electric oven, and when it was sufficiently browned on top, I moved it to the lower rack to continue baking. 

If you are intrigued by no knead pizza dough, but not in love with the idea of broccoli pizza (which I don't understand now that I've tried it... please give broccoli pizza a chance), here are a few more pizzas using this method:

Pizza Cipolla (it's onion pizza, but it sounds more romantic when you call it pizza cipolla)
Potato Pizza (trust me, so good)
Zucchini Pizza with Gruyère Cheese (the best melty cheese in the world)
Asian Pear and Smoked Sausage Pizza (yes, pears are wonderful on pizza)

October is National Pizza Month. Check out how the From Our Dinner Table Group is celebrating. Be sure to snag the delicious recipes. 

More Perfect Pizza Recipes:

• Autumn Pizza from Our Good Life
• Broccoli Pizza with Provolone, Mozzarella, and Pecorino Romano from Karen's Kitchen Stories (you are here)
• Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza Recipe from The Fresh Cooky
• Crab Rangoon Pizza from Palatable Pastime
• Filet French Bread Pizza from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
• Hatch Chile Pizza with Bacon and Mozzarella from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Hatch Chili and Ricotta Sauce Pineapple Pizza from Magical Ingredients
• Pizza Gyoza from That Recipe
• Skillet Pizza Dip from Family Around the Table
• Tortilla Pizza from Fresh April Flours

We share Recipes From Our Dinner Table! Join our group and share your recipes, too! While you're at it, join our Pinterest board, too!

If you don't have time to make your own crust, try making pizza with lavash! I love it topped with cauliflower and mozzarella, or spinach and fontina. 

This is an updated post from May, 2017. 

Broccoli Pizza with Provolone, Mozzarella, and Pecorino Romano

Yield: 8 servings

Author: Karen's Kitchen Stories

Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 15 MinInactive time: 2 HourTotal time: 2 H & 45 M

This broccoli pizza is a wonderful way to get in a full serving of vegetables while enjoying a slice of pizza!

Ingredients

For the Sauce

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1/2 cup milk (whole is recommended, I used 1%, which worked fine)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• A sprinkle of salt and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper

For the Pizza

• 3/4 pound head of broccoli
• zest and juice from 1/2 of a lemon
• 1/2 cup finely grated pecorino Romano cheese
• salt and red pepper flakes to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 recipe pizza dough (below)
• 1 recipe white sauce (above)
• 2 ounces coarsely grated provolone
• 4 ounces whole milk mozzarella cheese, torn by hand into small pieces
• 1 to 2 ounces minced pepperoni (optional)

For the Dough

• 250 grams (2 scant cups) bread flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons yeast (either instant or active dry)
• Heaping 1/4 teaspoon of fine sea salt or table salt
• 150 grams (2/3 cup) water (plus more as needed)

Instructions

To make the sauce, broccoli, and assemble the pizza:

1. While your dough is rising, preheat the oven to 500 degrees F with a rack in the center and a rack just below it.
2. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium low heat. Add the flour and whisk until smooth. Add the milk slowly, while whisking constantly. When the mixture is smooth, add the garlic, salt, and pepper.
3. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
4. Using a knife, cut the base of the broccoli off so that you have large florets with about 2 inches of stem left. Discard the base. In a large saucepan, bring 1 inch of salted water to a boil, add the broccoli, cover, and steam over medium low heat for two minutes. Drain the pan and immediately rinse the cooked broccoli under cold water to stop the cooking. Drain the broccoli and dry with paper towels. Chop the broccoli into small chunks and toss with the lemon zest, juice, pecorino Romano, salt, and red pepper flakes.
5. Pour the olive oil into the pan(s) and spread it with your fingertips. If using two pans, divide the dough in half. Spread the dough lengthwise in the pan(s), and then press it with your fingertips to completely fill the pan. The dough will be very thin. If the dough resists, let it rest for a bit, and then continue shaping.
6. Spread the white sauce over the dough, almost all of the way to the edges. Sprinkle with the provolone and the mozzarella. Sprinkle the broccoli over the cheeses. Sprinkle with the pepperoni.
7. Bake the pizza for 13 to 16 minutes, until the crust is browned and crispy.

To Make the Dough

1. In a medium bowl, mix the dough ingredients by hand until all of the flour is incorporated. Add more water as necessary by wetting your hands. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for about 2 hours, until doubled.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

427.60

Fat (grams)

19.15

Sat. Fat (grams)

8.78

Carbs (grams)

48.51

Fiber (grams)

8.76

Net carbs

39.76

Sugar (grams)

8.42

Protein (grams)

19.04

Sodium (milligrams)

754.34

Cholesterol (grams)

41.05

https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2017/05/broccoli-pizza-with-provolone.html

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