Zucchini Pizza – The Best Summer Pizza

Recipe Ingredients

All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.

• Zucchini. Medium-sized or small zucchini work best here because we’re slicing in rounds and layering them on the pizza. Save your large zucchini for chocolate zucchini bread!
• Pizza dough. While you can certainly use store-bought or pizzeria-bought dough, I recommend using my recipe for homemade dough.
• Mozzarella. I’m using sliced mozzarella cheese here as it’s layered in a shingle pattern beneath the zucchini. This is the type of cheese used for most grandma-style pizzas. Ask your deli clerk for “sandwich slices”.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How to make it

Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.

First make the pizza dough

1. In a large bowl add 260 grams (or 9 ounces) of cold water. In a separate bowl combine 406 grams (3 1/4 cups) of bread flour, 2 grams (1/2 teaspoon) of instant yeast, 8 grams (1 1/2 teaspoons) of fine sea salt, and 4 grams (1 teaspoon) of sugar.
2. Add the dry ingredients to the water a little at a time and mix thoroughly to form a dry rough mass. Pour 14 grams (1 tablespoon) of olive oil over the dough and mix again to scrape off any dough that’s stuck to the bowl.

3. Move the dough to a work surface and knead it for 5-7 minutes. If the dough is too sticky, place a clean bowl inverted over the dough and wait 30 minutes before resuming, then continue kneading. The dough should be kneaded for at least a total of 5 minutes.
4. Place the bowl over the dough once more and let it sit for 30-40 minutes to warm up before forming the dough ball. After 40 minutes, pull the dough toward its end repeatedly to form a smooth ball. Pinch the seam side and place the dough ball seam-side-down into an oiled bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 12, but ideally 24 hours before making your pizza.

Then, make the zucchini pizza

1. Remove the dough from the fridge at least 1 hour prior to using but keep it covered. Oil the bottom of a Grandma pizza pan with 1/4 cup of olive oil, remove the dough from the bowl, and place it in the pan. With your fingertips begin to press the dough into the corners of the pan. If needed oil your fingertips to help with the sticky dough.
2. You will not be able to stretch the dough all the way to the corners in one attempt. Place plastic wrap over the pan and let the dough continue to warm up for another 45 minutes.

3. While the dough is resting, using a sharp knife or mandoline, slice 4 medium zucchini into thin rounds. Mince 3 cloves of garlic, grate 3 tablespoons of Pecorino Romano cheese, and zest 1 lemon and set aside.
4. Place the zucchini in a colander or baking sheet and generously salt (about 1 tablespoon of Diamond Crystal Kosher salt) to help encourage the release of its water. Allow the zucchini to sit for 45-60 minutes.
5. After the dough has rested for 45 minutes, remove the plastic and begin to stretch the dough to the size of the pan. If it doesn’t completely stretch, cover with plastic wrap and repeat the process one more time until the dough has completely filled the pan, then cover and set aside. Preheat the oven to 450f and set one rack to the lowest level and one to the highest.
6. After the zucchini slices have sat for 45-60 minutes, you’ll notice they’ve released much of their water. Rinse them off with water to remove excess salt. Don’t worry they won’t reabsorb water.

7. Place them on a baking sheet lined with a paper towel and blot them dry to remove the excess moisture.
8. Remove the plastic wrap from the pizza and if required, press the dough into the edges. Start by holding or pressing one of the corners. Begin to layer 12 ounces worth of sliced mozzarella cheese by starting in the corner following an overlapping shingle pattern until the pizza is completely covered. Leave the outside 1/2 inch uncovered – this will become your crust.
9. Layer the zucchini slices in a similar pattern on top of the cheese.
10. In a small bowl add the minced garlic to 1/4 cup of olive oil and use a spoon to drizzle the garlic oil on top of the zucchini grandma pizza.

11. Place the pizza on the lowest rack in the oven and cook for 10 minutes rotating the pan 180 degrees at the halfway point. After 10 minutes, remove the pizza from the oven and check the bottom. If the pizza is well-browned, move it to the top rack and bake for 8 minutes longer. If the bottom is still blond, leave the zucchini pizza on the bottom rack and bake for 8 minutes. After 18 minutes total, remove the pizza from the oven and sprinkle with the grated Pecorino Romano, then return to the oven for 2-4 minutes or until crisp, then remove. The total cooking time will be approximately 20-22 minutes.
12. Remove the zucchini pizza from the pan and let it cool for a few minutes on a wire rack. Sprinkle with the lemon zest and 1/4 cup worth of basil leaves, then slice, serve and enjoy!

More pizza recipes

If you’re in the pizza-making mood, here are a few of my top recipes! I think you’ll love them!

• Artichoke pizza – grandma-style pizza topped with ricotta and artichoke hearts.
• Classic New York pizza – the iconic round pie you’ll find in and around the New York metro area.
• Vodka sauce pizza – grandma style pie topped with mozzarella and creamy vodka sauce.