Author Notes
Wanting to make pizzas for a dinner party recently but dreading the thought of cranking up the oven when it was already 90 degrees outside, I turned to my waffle maker. As an added bonus, they cooked even faster than the normal oven pie. Just make sure to squeeze as much water out of the zucchini as you can and drain the ricotta if it's too runny to make sure your pizza crust gets nice and crisp. —chez_mere
Ingredients
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1 pound
fresh pizza dough (homemade if you're ambitious; from Trader Joe's if you're not)
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flour, for dusting
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1
large zucchini, shredded
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1/4 teaspoon
salt
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1 cup
fresh ricotta (the good stuff please)
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1/2 cup
Pecorino cheese, grated
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4 tablespoons
fresh mint
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freshly cracked black pepper
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olive oil, for brushing
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flakey sea salt
Directions
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If your dough had been in the fridge, take it out to come to room temperature. Sprinkle the zucchini with 1/4 tsp salt, toss, and set in a colander to drain for 20 minutes. Squeeze out as much liquid as you can and set aside.
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Preheat your waffle maker on high. While it's warming up, divide your dough into 4 quarters. Working one at a time and keeping the other quarters covered, roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface. Aim for a rectangle about twice the length of the waffle iron.
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Spread 1/4 c. ricotta onto one half of the dough leaving a 1/4 inch boarder. Top with a fourth of the zucchini, 2 Tbsp. Pecorino, several good grinds of black pepper and 1 Tbsp. basil. Fold the untopped half of dough over and crimp the edges to seal (you should have a square-ish packet that will fit in the waffle maker.) Poke a couple slits in the top to let steam escape, then brush with olive oil and sprinkle with flakey sea salt.
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Spray your waffle maker liberally with non-stick spray (or brush with more olive oil) and slide the pizza in. Close the lid and cook until the crust is deep golden brown and crisp - about 10 minutes for me. Don't worry if a little of the cheese escapes.
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Remove and let cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing. Repeat 3 more times with remaining ingredients. If you want to serve the pizza's all at once instead of as they come out, I suggest keeping them warm in a 250 degree oven directly on the oven rack to prevent sogginess.
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