Shredded Brussels Sprouts Pizza with Goat Cheese & Olives

One of life’s little miracles is looking in your fridge and discovering you have everything you need to make a perfect pizza. While I’m pretty down with most pizza toppings (provided they are vegetarian), there are definitely some pizza sweet spots that result from the right toppings combo. You know – like red pizza with green peppers, black olives, and spinach or spicy tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, and basil. These tried and true topping trinities (say that 10x fast) are just so…pizzalicious.

Well, I’m adding another trinity – or actually “quintity” (not a real word, unfortunately). Shredded brussels, freshly grated parm, kalamatas, goat cheese, and parsley pesto. When I made this for the first time, my husband legit freaked out. I kind of did too. Will you? Let me know in the comments.

A couple notes about the recipe:

-You can use any pizza crust to make this pizza, but my favorite lately has been this one, with a few modifications. (See the notes under the recipe itself for more info.)

-The first time I made this, I think I left more of the crust uncovered, using the same toppings, but a lighter scattering of each. It’s even more “fancy restaurant vibe” this way, but less substantial. Feel free to experiment!

-If you don’t feel like making the pesto, the “quadinity” (also sadly not a word) of brussels sprouts, olives, parm, and goat cheese is also quite winning.

Shredded Brussels Sprouts Pizza with Goat Cheese & Olives

• Your favorite pizza crust (I like this one, slightly modified – see notes below)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 ounces brussels sprouts, trimmed and shredded ( About 2 ¼ cups shredded)
• 1 tablespoon kalamata olives, very finely chopped
• Scant 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1 ounce goat cheese (¼ of a 4 oz log)
• 1 tablespoon parsley pesto (optional, recipe below)

Notes about the linked pizza crust recipe:

I like to make the parsley pesto first, and then use the same blender to make the pizza crust. This adds a bit more flavor. Instead of baking it in a round tin, I line a sheet tray with parchment paper, grease it generously with olive oil, and spread the batter into a rectangle. Pre-baking time is a little shorter because the crust is thinner. I usually pre-bake for 12-15 minutes, flip it, and then do about 8 more minutes, until it is browned in parts. When the toppings are added and the crust is baked again, it turns into a thin, cracker-like crust which I really like!

Directions:

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a wide skillet that can more or less fit the brussels sprouts in a single layer. When the oil is hot, add the brussels and  let them sit for at least a minute without stirring, then continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for about five minutes, until browning and crisp. Season lightly – the rest of the toppings are salty!

Brush the pre-baked pizza crust with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and then sprinkle with about ½ of the parm. Add the brussels sprouts, sprinkle with the rest of the parm, and then scatter the olives. Dollop the goat cheese, and then dollop or drizzle the pesto across the pizza to finish.

Return to a 425°F degree oven for 5-8 minutes. Serve immediately!

Parsley Pesto

Yield: 1 cup (It’s great on pasta!)

• 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, some stems included (I used a couple inches of stem but not the last 3-4 inches at the bottom, which are too tough)
• 1 tablespoon hemp seeds
• 1 tablespoon capers
• Small pinch of salt (the capers add most of what you need already)
• ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¼ cup boiled water
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Small bit of garlic or garlic oil (optional)

Directions:

Wash and chop the parsley – you should end up with about 2 packed cups. Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth. The pesto can be thinned out with more olive oil if needed/desired.