Pizza with Crumbled Italian Sausage and Mozzarella Sauce (Vegan!)

mozzarella cheese

🥗Healthier: part-skim mozzarella

💰Cheaper: provolone cheese

Part-skim mozzarella reduces fat while still melting well.

crumbled Italian sausage

🥗Healthier: ground turkey

💰Cheaper: ground beef

Ground turkey is lower in fat and calories.

pizza dough

🥗Healthier: whole wheat pizza dough

💰Cheaper: store-bought pizza dough

Whole wheat dough adds fiber and nutrients.

parmesan cheese

🥗Healthier: nutritional yeast

💰Cheaper: grated pecorino

Nutritional yeast provides a cheesy flavor with fewer calories.

Dissolve 1 sachet of yeast in 1 cup of warm water. Wait for about 10 minutes, until it gets foamy on top.

Mix in salt, oil, sugar and flour. Knead the dough for 3 - 5 minutes, until it gets smooth. Poke it with a finger: if it falls back quickly - you're good to go!

Place the dough in a large, well oiled bowl, make sure it's covered with olive oil (to prevent it from sticking to the bowl), and leave it in a warm place for 1 - 1.5 hours.

Make Crumbled Italian Sausage. In a food processor, blend 1 cup of fresh almonds, until crumbly almond meal texture is achieved. Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse 20 - 25 times, until incorporated. Fry the mixture in olive oil until brown, breaking it into chunks. Set aside to cool down.

Make Marinara sauce (in case you're making it yourself). In a small pot, heat a can of crushed tomatoes, Italian herbs and garlic for about 20 minutes, until it gets thick. Stir occasionally.

When the dough has risen, preheat the oven to 225°C. Stretch it into a rectangular shape on a baking sheet. Cover with Marinara sauce, crumbled sausage and the additional toppings. Bake for 15 minutes.

While the pizza is in the oven, make Mozzarella sauce. In a food processor, mix 1/2 cup of Plain cashew cream cheese, 1/2 cup water, 1 tsp onion powder and 1 tbsp cornstarch. Add a dash of salt to taste.

Pour Mozzarella sauce on top of the pizza and bake for 2 - 3 more minutes.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens