How to Make Vegetable Pizza

Co-authored by Amber Crain

Last Updated: May 6, 2021 References Tested

Vegetable pizzas make delicious and healthy meals. There are many different kinds of veggie pizza, and most of them are quick and relatively easy to prepare. They are a great dinner solution on a busy weeknight. Vegetable pizza is also extremely versatile. The toppings can be customized to include your favorite vegetables and cheeses. You can make the crust as thick or as thin as you like. Feel free to make adjustments as you see fit.

Ingredients

Basic Vegetable Pizza^{[1]
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2 (28-ounce/794 grams) cans whole peeled tomatoes
Red peppers
Zucchini
Eggplant
Asparagus
Portobello mushrooms
Onions
Scallions
Olive oil
Salt, pepper
Shredded mozzarella
Store-bought pizza dough of your choice (1 pound)

Serves: 4

Roasted Veggie Pizza^{[2]
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2 small yellow squash, sliced 1/4-inch (6.35 mm) thick on a diagonal
2 small zucchini, sliced 1/4-inch (6.35 mm) thick on a diagonal
2 medium Vidalia onions, sliced 1/4-inch (6.35 mm) thick
1 medium eggplant, sliced 1/4-inch (6.35 mm) thick
Salt and pepper as needed
1 cup (237 milliliters) extra-virgin olive oil, or as needed
2 tablespoons minced garlic
Cornmeal for dusting
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
3 tablespoons (45 milliliters) chopped parsley
Store-bought pizza dough of your choice (1 pound)

Serves: 4

Cold Vegetable Pizza Appetizer^{[3]
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2 (8 ounce/227 grams) packages refrigerated crescent rolls
2 (8 ounce/227 grams) packages cream cheese, softened
1 (1 ounce/28 grams) package Ranch-style dressing mix
2 carrots, finely chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1 1/2 cups fresh broccoli florets, chopped
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese

Makes 48 bite-sized pieces

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Making a Basic Vegetable Pizza

1
Gather the ingredients. This recipe makes use of store-bought pizza dough. However, feel free to use a homemade pizza crust, if you prefer. Using a store-bought crust, this pizza can be on the table in about 45 minutes. If you opt to make the homemade crust, you will need an additional hour and a half. The yield is approximately 4 servings.
- Store-bought produce usually isn't pre-rinsed. Make sure to always wash your vegetables well before using them on your pizza.
2
Prepare the store-bought pizza dough. Sprinkle flour generously onto a flat work surface. Remove the dough from your refrigerator and give it a light dusting of flour. Allow the dough to sit on your work surface for 20 to 30 minutes, so that it becomes room temperature. Dust your rolling pin with flour. Roll the dough into a circle that is approximately ½ inch thick.
- Take the dough in both hands and pinch one of the edges, letting the dough hang down. Slowly work your way around the circle, pinching, until the dough is the size you want.
- To prevent the crust from sticking, you'll need to grease the baking sheet with cooking spray/oil before placing the crust on it. You can also sprinkle corn meal on a baking sheet to prevent this.^{[4]
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3
Make the sauce. Place a strainer over a large microwave proof bowl. Dump the tomatoes into the strainer and crush them with your hands. Push the pulp into the bottom of the strainer so that the juices go through the sieve. Place the microwavable bowl full of tomato juice into your microwave and set them to cook on high for 20 to 25 minutes.
- This will thicken the juice into a consistency much like ketchup. Pour the crushed tomato pulp into the thickened juice.
- Allow this to cool down to room temperature.
- If you prefer using the stovetop, simmer the tomatoes in a medium sized pan for about 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until it thickens.
4
Prepare the toppings. Chop the vegetables into your preferred size. Coat the chopped veggies with olive oil and season them with salt and pepper. Spread the vegetables out evenly on a hot grill or grill pan.
- Grill them for about 10 minutes, until they are tender but still firm.^{[5]
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- Remove the vegetables from the grill and set them aside.
- Feel free to customize the vegetables – omit or limit the use of any that you don’t like.
5
Assemble the pizza. Preheat the oven to its highest setting, which is usually between 500 and 550°F (260°C and 288°C). Spoon the cooled sauce over the pizza crust dough and spread it evenly. Top with the grilled sliced vegetables – arrange them however you like. Top with mozzarella cheese.
- Bake the pizza for about 10 to 12 minutes. You'll know it's ready when the cheese is melted, bubbly and lightly browned on top.
- Slice the pizza into wedges and serve immediately.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Making a Roasted Veggie Pizza

1
Gather the ingredients. This recipe makes use of store-bought pizza dough. However, feel free to use a homemade pizza crust, if you prefer. Using a store-bought crust, this pizza can be cooked and served in about 60 minutes. The yield is approximately 4 servings.
- Scatter flour onto a flat work surface. Remove the dough from its packaging and leave it sitting out for about 20 to 30 minutes until it's room temperature. Roll the dough into a circle that is approximately ½ inch thick.
- Grab and pinch one of the edges with both hands, letting the dough hang down. Slowly work your way around the circle, pinching, until the dough is the size you want.
- Place the crust on a baking sheet that you've oiled or sprinkled with corn meal to prevent sticking.^{[6]
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2
Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C) and prepare the vegetables. Rinse and slice all of your vegetables on the diagonal to be about ¼-inch (6.35 mm) thick. Slicing on a diagonal means to slice them thinly, at a slant and length-wise. Place the slices into a large strainer. Sprinkle salt all over them and allow them to sit like that for about 15 minutes. This will extract some of the natural water from the vegetables.
- Rinse the salt off. Drain the veggies and use paper towels to blot them dry.
- Extracting the water makes the vegetables roast better.
- Vegetables with high water content will roast soggily. Extracting the water gives you a crisper result.
3
Roast the vegetables. Spread the vegetables out in one layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil over them and sprinkle the minced garlic. Reserve 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) of the oil. Place the baking sheet in the oven and roast them for about 15 to 20 minutes.
- When they are tender and darkened around the edges, they’re ready.
- Once they’ve cooled, feel free to slice the vegetables slightly thinner, if you prefer smaller pieces for toppings.
4
Spread the ricotta cheese over the pizza crust dough. Arrange the roasted vegetables on top of the thin layer of ricotta. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the veggies. Lastly, drizzle the 2 tablespoons of olive oil you reserved over the pizza and top with the parsley.
5
Bake the pizza for 15 minutes. Place the baking sheet into your oven and allow the pizza to cook for about 15 minutes. You’ll know its read when the cheese has fully melted and the crust has become golden brown. Remove the pizza from the oven and slice it into wedges with a pizza cutter.
- Serve immediately.
- Serve with a tossed salad and a nice red wine (optional).

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Creating a Cold Vegetable Pizza Appetizer

1
Gather the ingredients. This pizza is served cold and makes an excellent appetizer or finger food. It makes use of store-bought crescent rolls for the crust. It takes 20 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook. The yield is 48 bite-sized squares.
2
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and prepare the crescent rolls. Use 2 non-stick baking sheets. Open the 2 packages of crescent rolls. Stretch the dough and flatten it out so that it forms one rectangular shape. Be sure to pinch the seams together. Bake for about 10 minutes.
- It’s ready when the crust has become golden brown.
- Set the just-baked crust aside and let it cool for about 30 minutes while you prepare the rest of the dish.
3
Make the “sauce” and chop the vegetables. Remove the cream cheese from the refrigerator and allow it to sit out for several minutes. This will soften it and make it easier to work with. Once softened, place the cream cheese in a large mixing bowl and add the Ranch-style dressing mix.
- Stir vigorously until they are fully mixed together.
- Spoon the mixture over the cooled crusts in a thin layer.
4
Sprinkle the vegetables and cheddar over the cream cheese layer. Finely chop the vegetables so that they are relatively small. Arrange them over the cream cheese sauce and sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese on top. Place in the refrigerator for approximately 1 hour.
- When you’re ready to serve them, take them out of the refrigerator and cut them into 48 bite-size squares.
- Serve immediately as appetizers or finger food.

Community Q&A

Question

Can we use butter cubes instead of cheese?

Community Answer

If you like. The cheesy topping is one of the major components of pizza, though.