Hooray, you’re having a pizza party. Here are four options for the pizza base. For those in the gluten-free category, try my recipe for cauliflower crust. You’ll discver you don’t miss the bread at all. Choice number two: bake up a batch of puff pastry, for a thick, buttery base. Three: head to your favorite local pizza place and see if they will sell you some of their dough. That way you’ll get the real thing without having to make the dough yourself. Lastly, for the time-constrained, I suggest a store-bought dense Turkish pide bread that can really hold a lot of toppings. Any of these choices will work nicely with my creative toppings.

These creative pizza bases are part of my plan for hosting a party of inventive pizzas, that allows guests to choose the toppings and sauces they like.

•

recipe

CAULIFLOWER CRUST

A healthful, interesting choice to add to your pizza repertoire. A cauliflower crust adds a lot of flavor on its own, and is more moist than a traditional dough. Bonus: super easy to make. If you own a pizza stone, this is a good use for it. This crust has a lot of salt from the pecorino cheese, it’s a good idea to make the toppings with a little less salt.

MAKES TWO 8-INCH CRUSTS

PREHEAT OVEN 450ºF … PREPARE THE CAULIFLOWER

1/2 head cauliflower
—
Remove center stem, cut cauliflower into small hunks. Process in food processor until pieces look like crumbs. Move to a pot and steam cauliflower bits for about 3 min, until grains begin to soften.

TO MAKE EACH 8-INCH CRUST

1 CUP cooked cauliflower bits
1/2 CUP pecorino cheese, grated
1 egg, beaten
1/2 TB herbs de provence
—
In a large bowl, combine ingredients with a fork. Roll into a ball. On a parchment-lined baking sheet, place mixture in the center, and spread out to about 8 inches with a spoon. Use your fingers to fill in gaps, and even out surface. Bake for 15 min, until edges are browned. Use as a base for your pizza.

•

more bases

BASE: frozen PUFF PASTRY

Puff pastry gives you a rich choice. A great item to keep in your freezer at all times, great for savory or sweet usage, Pepperidge Farms Puff Pastry Sheets create a flaky base in just 15 min (after 40 minute thaw).

1 box Pepperidge Farm (makes 6 long pieces)
—
Thaw the pastry. Unfold and cut into thirds to acheive long sections. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Bake for 15 min. While still hot, push gently down on the tops of the puff with a spatula to create the valleys for toppings.

BASE: TURKISH PIDA BREAD

This bread creates a deep and sturdy base for lots of gooey toppings, so load ‘em up. Pizzas can be baked in the oven or created on a skillet. In NYC you can find it at Garden of Eden on 14th street.

BASE: AUTHENTIC PIZZA DOUGH

Want real pizza dough? You can usually purchase pre–made dough from your local pizza place, just ask. Since home ovens cannot get as hot as they do in a pizza place, a pizza stone helps to crisp it.

Whether you are a traditionalist and require a tomato sauce on your pizza, or are more inclined to experiment, I’ve got you covered with these two healthy sauces. The sweet potatoes add a touch of sweetness and the heirloom tomato sauce can be on the table in less than 10 minutes. I’ve included this recipe as part of an exciting pizza topping buffet where guests can make their own pizzas.

See all the ideas for creating gourmet pizzas—recipes for bases, toppings, and  luxe finishing touches that make the pizzas people can’t stop talking about.

•

recipe

SAUCE: SWEET POTATO

For a nice, comfort twist, think of using sweet potato sauce instead of typical tomato sauce. Spread out the mixture with a spoon over crust and add desired toppings. Use leftovers as a side dish for your next dinner.

MAKES A BIG BOWL OF POTATOES

START THE POTATOES

4 sweet potatoes
—
Peel potatoes, cut into large chunks, boil until soft, about 15 min. Drain. Place in large bowl.

ADD GARLIC TO MAKE IT INTERESTING…

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp olive oil
—
Saute garlic in olive oil. Pour over potatoes.

MASH IT ALL TOGETHER

potatoes
2 TB butter
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tsp fresh thyme, minced
1 CUP Parmesan cheese, grated
1 CUP 2% milk
—
While potatoes are still hot, toss in all of the ingredients, except milk. Mash together. Add milk, mash. Mixture should be a thick, but spreadable. Add a little milk to thin out, if necessary.

•

recipe

SAUCE: HEIRLOOM TOMATO

Heirloom tomatoes still lurk in the market. If you can find them use this recipe instead of a jarred sauce.

MAKES ONE CUP

GET IT STARTED

3 TB olive oil
sprinkle of red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, chopped
—
Cook garlic in oil about 3 min over low to medium heat. (Don’t let garlic brown.) Turn off heat while preparing tomatoes.

COOK THE TOMATOES

3 large heirloom tomatoes
1/2 TB salt
—
Cut tomatoes into segments revealing the watery/seed sections. With a spoon, remove as many of the seeds and liquid as possible. Chop tomatoes into small bits, as for a salsa. Add to the pan with garlic/oil. Cook for 5 min over medium heat.

ADD SOME DEPTH

1 shot vodka
1/2 TB fresh oregano, chopped
—
Add to the pot, cook another 10 min. The sauce should be nice and chunky. If sauce is too watery, pour through sieve in batches.

Here are eight suggestions for pizza topping, veggie-centric. They are part of our pizza party buffet, which allows guests to make their own combinations of meat, cheese, sauce, and more—to create their favorite pizza.

Choose the ones that work best with your guests’ taste buds and dietary preferences. To complete the picture, see more pizza toppings in the meat category, plus recipes for bases, sauces, and finishing touches to create spectacular gourmet pizzas everyone will love.

•

recipe

ROASTED PEPPER STRIPS

This is one of the easiest ways to roast a pepper. The trick is to make an aluminum tent out of the foil that the peppers are roasting on and use it to steam off the blackened skins.

MAKES A SMALL BOWL OF STRIPS

MOVE OVEN SHELF CLOSEST TO BROILER…SET OVEN TO BROIL

2 peppers
—
Cut peppers into 4 parts, following the contours of the pepper. Remove seeds. Flatten each piece on a baking sheet lined with foil. Place under broiler until the tops are black, about 10 min. Remove from oven. Enclose the hot peppers inside the aluminum foil to sweat the skins off. After 10 min or so, remove skins. Cut into thin strips.

•

recipe

ROASTED ARTICHOKES & ZUCCHINI

Cook these two ingredients together to save time and stress. And roasting under the broiler, simplifies the “grilling” process. Up the amount if you know your crowd is more veggie-centric.

makes one small bowl of each

MAKE THE MARINADE

1 TB oregano, minced
1/2 TB basil, minced
1/2 TB thyme, minced
1 tsp salt
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 TB olive oil
—
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.

PREPARE ARTICHOKE HEARTS

artichoke hearts
—
Thaw artichoke hearts in the fridge overnight, if frozen. Place on paper towel to remove excess water. (Skip this step if using canned artichokes.) Put in large bowl, brush on marinade.

PREPARE ZUCCHINI

3 small zucchini
—
Slice on the diagonal, toss in marinade. Use a brush to distribute evenly.

MOVE OVEN SHELF DOWN 2 ROWS FROM THE BROILER

Place on baking sheet in the oven under broiler. Broil 9 min, or so, until tops start to brown. Flip ingredients over, return to oven for another 5 min.

•

recipe

CARAMELIZED ONIONS

This takes a while to cook, but is totally worth the time. The onions transform into something soft and unbelievably sweet. Using a pot with a glass lid gives you the satisfaction of seeing the onion’s progress over the hour or so of cooking. The mint adds a lively note to the mix, and will make a nice match with the spicy ground lamb. The flavors also work well with any of the cheeses, and all of the veggie offerings.

MAKES ONE DENSELY-PACKED CUP OF ONIONY DELICIOUSNESS

FIND A DEEP, NONSTICK PAN WITH COVER

2 TB olive oil
2 large sweet onions, cut into 1/8 inch rings
1/2 tsp salt
—
Heat the oil over medium heat. Add onions and salt, cook for about 8 min stirring frequently. Cover the pan and reduce heat. Simmer onions for 55 min, stirring occasionally to keep them cooking evenly. Mixture should end up golden.

FLAVOR THE ONIONS

3 twists freshly ground pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 TB thyme, minced
1 TB mint, minced
1/2 TB parsley, minced
—
Add ingredients and cook uncovered for 5 min to remove excess liquid and incorporate flavor. Stir as necessary. Serve in bowl with a small pair of tongs or mini fork.

•

keep it simple

NO-COOK TOPPINGS:

-baby arugula
-pitted olives, sliced
-Gala apples, thinly sliced
-sprouts