Garlic scape season (aka spring/early summer) is one of my favorite seasons. These delicious green shoots make the best dishes, so really, what’s not to love! Garlic scapes have a texture reminiscent of asparagus and a milder garlic flavor. Mind you, they’re still plenty garlicky, it’s just nowhere near as concentrated as say, biting into a clove of garlic. You’ll want to keep your eyes out for scapes at your local farmers market or some well stocked grocery stores (I see them at Whole Foods and my local organic market). The season is fleeting, so make the most of it while you can! Putting garlic scapes on pizza is one of my favorite ways to eat them! I make sure to enjoy a garlic scape pizza at least once a season, like any sane person should! I topped some homemade pizza dough with a no cook tomato sauce and vegan mozzarella. Then loaded it up with garlic scapes, some vegan Italian sausage, and Calabrian chiles. Out of the oven I garnished it with fresh basil and fresh oregano because and added some vegan parmesan because I’m extra. It was such a simple pizza to throw together and one of my favorite combos of all time!
First, let’s make the pizza dough!
The first step to pizza is not rushing it. That means taking the time 1-3 days in advance to make some dough, or feel free to buy some pizza dough, but give it time to come to room temperature before baking. I used my overnight pizza dough in this recipe, and let it rise for about 2 1/2 days before making this pizza. It led to a beautifully soft puffy crust (the rim is called cornicione) that’s just a delight to tear into. If you make my recipe, you can definitely use the pizza dough after an overnight rise in the fridge. But if you have the time making it 2-3 days in advance really makes for some spectacular flavor and texture.
The no cook pizza sauce:
I’m a big fan of making this fresh tasting blender sauce. Take high quality canned tomatoes, organic if you can swing it. Scoop out a few tablespoons of the tomatoes and their juices and add it to a blender along with some salt, red pepper flakes, dried oregano, and extra virgin olive oil. Blend these together until they’re smooth. Then add the rest of the tomatoes and all their juices and pulse the blender a couple of times to break up the tomatoes. You want some texture left in the sauce and don’t want to over-blend the tomatoes which can make the sauce watery. You can make the sauce in up to a couple of days in advance, or quickly whip it up while the oven preheats.
The garlic scapes:
Prepping the garlic scapes is not 100% necessary, but I think makes them even better. Heat a large skillet and add a drizzle of oil along with the scapes and a pinch of salt. Fry them just a couple of minutes to turn them a couple shades more vibrant and sear in a few spots. It also makes the scapes more tender and easier to plop onto the pizza. Do this a couple hours ahead of time, or while the oven preheats.
The rest of the toppings:
The Italian seasonings of the sausage pair really well with the sharp bite of the scapes. You have some sweetness from the fennel, and some spiciness from red pepper flakes. I like seitan sausage, and there are a few brands on the market these days for you to choose from (in the US at least!). You can also look into making your own, such as my seitan deli meat slices which aren’t Italian seasoned but would also pair really well with the scapes. I picked up some jarred Calabrian chiles in oil for this pizza for a sweet heat, but if you can’t find them or a suitable jarred substitute, fresh peppers are always a nice addition! For the cheese, choose your favorite vegan mozzarella. The creaminess of the mozz mellows the bite of the scapes and ties the whole pizza together for the ultimate drool-worthy meal. When it’s out of the oven, the pizza is finished with fresh basil. I happen to grow some oregano in my herb garden so used that, but otherwise you can use the dried stuff! A little sprinkling of vegan parm and it’s pizza perfection.
Baking the pizza:
I’ve got a lot of tips on shaping pizza dough in my overnight pizza dough recipe, so check that out if you want to up your pizza making game! Otherwise, the most important things you can do are: The goal is to transfer as much a heat as possible to the pizza as quickly as possible. This leads to soft and tender crusts, a beautiful golden color with some charred and blackened spots. It also helps your cheese melt, which can be especially fussy with vegan cheeses. And lastly it won’t dry out your toppings. Pizza is a fun food to make for guests, and while it’s makes a bit of a mess of your counter while you shape the dough and top the pizzas, you can get everything together in advance. This means easy and stress free baking for your friends and family! Or just yourself. That’s cool too. If you make this garlic scape pizza, leave a comment below and rate the recipe on the recipe card. And please share your photos with me on Instagram, tag @thecuriouschickpea and #thecuriouschickpea. I love seeing your recreations! For pizza shaping, baking, and transferring to the oven tips, please read my Easy Overnight Pizza Dough post. I used Violife Mozzarella style shreds and Parmesan cheese on this pizza and No Evil Foods The Stallion sausage.
Baking Steel - The Original Ultra Conductive Pizza Stone (14"x16"x1/4") Ironwood Gourmet 28214 Napoli Pizza Peel, Acacia Wood Monini Calabrian Chili Peppers In Vinegar, 22.9 Ounce
