Amazingly Delicious Seafood Pizza
I am craving Amazingly Delicious Seafood Pizza as I write this recipe. In fact, I made this recipe up on a fluke several months ago and have not had the occasion to make it again until now. Food bloggers are always GUSHING over food, especially their own. I kid you not, this Seafood Pizza is truly amazingly delicious. Promise, I am not using this title lightly.
The Ingredients
This is not the lightest dish on the Mediterranean Diet. It IS a decadent meal, but it is much healthier than a pizza delivery meal. Rest easy as it calls for only good-for-you ingredients. It is perfect for a Friday night stay-in-date night, or a casual dinner party with friends!
- Olive Sunshine Make Ahead Pizza Dough or your favorite pizza dough (a short cut is to buy pizza dough fresh from the bakery at the grocery store)
- Olive Sunshine Vegan Béchamel Sauce (or your favorite recipe)
- Shallots
- Shrimp
- Patagonian Scallops
- Bluefin Crabmeat
- Mixed Mushrooms
- Green Pepper
- Banana Pepper
- Pecorino
- Goat Cheese
The Background
My bestie, Katherine, was coming home to Florida for a spring break visit. Planning to make a special meal, I sent a text, “What do you want me to make for you?” She wrote, “seafood pizza”. Actually, she meant “seafood” OR “pizza”. Wow, I am glad I did not know that is what she meant that day. Otherwise, I may not have made this Amazingly Delicious Seafood Pizza.
When my Sweetheart and I first started dating, we often ordered a seafood pizza at our favorite Italian restaurant in Key West. Sadly, they took it off the menu. In recent years, I have not had it due to my recently acquired cow (not lactose the WHOLE cow) allergy. If I ever see it on a menu, it is off-limits due to the cheese. Katherine’s text led me to asking one challenging question, “How could I make a sweet, creamy, seafood pizza that would be all of the deliciousness from the past and way more of the healthy I like now?”
What Makes this Seafood Pizza Amazingly Delicious?
For starters, it is homemade. There is everything to love about homemade pizza: fresh ingredients, piping hot from your oven and toppings just the way you like them. The best part it is healthier at a fraction of the cost! Sounds like a winner to me. Okay, so we have established why you should make pizza. But what makes it Amazingly Delicious Seafood Pizza? The combination of the perfectly chosen seafood mixed with the secret sauce. Sauce that is perfectly creamy, and slightly sweet enhances the flavor of the seafood and makes the whole pizza. The hearty wheat crust is a fantastic flavor compliment. Not to mention, a thick hearty crust is necessary to support the decadent ingredients.
I Do Not Miss the Cheese
The vegan béchamel sauce is the perfect substitute for the mozzarella cheese. I never would have imagined a pizza without a heavy layer of mozzarella. Now, I adore this lighter, creamier, sweeter pizza. I do not miss the inflammatory, stringy cheese I once thought I could not live without. In fact, when I asked Katherine if she missed the cheese, she looked at me startled, she had not noticed it was without the mozzarella cheese.
This recipe does include a few ounces of goat cheese crumbles and pecorino just for that added decadence. Both of these cheeses are less inflammatory for most people than mozzarella. When you wake up the next day without inflammation or the extra pounds from sodium, it will be easier to understand why I do not miss the cheese. If you want to make this vegan, simply eliminate the cheese and add some of your favorite seasonings, for example, Aleppo pepper, Old Bay, or garlic salt!
Avoid Soggy Crust – Proceed with Pizza Caution
The only warning I am going to give you with this recipe is to be sparing when adding the béchamel sauce. It is really important to not add too much goodness, or the crust will be soggy. I suggest you bake off the crust for 5 minutes before adding any toppings. Adding the dough to an already hot pizza stone will also ensure the bottom of the crust can withstand the delicious, if moist, toppings.
I hope you enjoy and love this seafood pizza as much as we do. This is a favorite for sure.
Ingredients
Pizza Toppings
BÉCHAMEL SAUCE (DAIRY-FREE)
Instructions
Make sure to have the pizza dough and bechamel prepared prior to putting together the pizza. To prepare Olive Sunshine’s Vegan béchamel sauce (the recipe will yield more sauce than needed), heat the olive oil on medium heat in a large pot on the stove. Add the flour as the oil heats. Whisk the flour vigorously as the mixture heats creating a roux. Add the oat milk all at once and continue to whisk until combined. Allow the sauce to come to a slow boil while stirring vigorously. Add the arrowroot as a thickener, one teaspoon at a time, until the mixture is the right consistency. Wait 1-2 minutes, while stirring, while adding the arrowroot. There may be arrowroot left over, only use if needed. The sauce should be pourable but not watery.
Preparing the Pizza: Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. If cooking with a stone, preheat the stone for not more than 5 minutes. While the stone is preheating, cover a workspace with semolina flour and roll out the dough to the shape and size of the pan. The dough should be 1/2 inch thickness. Using oven mitts, remove the stone from the oven and carefully cover with semolina flour. If not using a stone, lightly oil and flour the pan. Do not preheat. Place the rolled out dough on the pan and place in the oven for 4-5 minutes to precook the dough. Remove the stone or pan from the oven and set aside for a few minutes to let the steam dissipate.
While the pizza dough is precooking, heat a skillet to medium high and drizzle the remaining olive oil. Add the shallots and sauté for one minute. Add the seafood (shrimp, scallops and crabmeat) and sauté for 2-3 minutes stirring regularly. Remove from heat. The shrimp will still be slightly pink. Combine the seafood mixture with the peppers and mushrooms. Set aside.
Using a teaspoon, ladle out the bechamel covering the pizza crust. The sauce should be evenly spread but not too thick. Spread the seafood and vegetable combination evenly on the crust and sauce. Sprinkle the pecorino and goat cheese on the pizza. Place back in the oven for 7-8 minutes or until bubbling.
Remove the pizza, allow to set for 2-3 minutes, sprinkle with parsley leaves and cayenne pepper if desired. Serve immediately!
The béchamel sauce will keep in a tightly sealed container for 5-7 days in the refrigerator. Are you looking for other ways to use the béchamel? Healthy Classic Lasagna Recipe
