Della Salute Cornmeal Crust Pizza

While living in Portland, John and I ordered pizza from Dove Vivi probably once per month. They have 2 vegan pizzas on the menu but will make their other pizzas vegan when requested. All pizzas are made with cornmeal crust. My mom visited us in Portland and we took her to Dove Vivi for dinner. Just a few weeks ago she asked me if I had ever tried to make the crust because she remembered how fantastic it was. The answer was no, until now!

I googled vegan cornmeal crust and found a ton of recipes. I chose the one with the least amount of oil and think that might have been a mistake! The crust had a nice flavor but was flat and a bit dry. I will not use this recipe again, but will keep searching for a balance of health and deliciousness!

I baked the pizza in a cast iron skillet, making it easy to shape. Unfortunately, I forgot the pan had been in the oven when I grabbed the handle. After tears and 5 minutes of soaking my hand in ice water, all was well!

Della Salute is the name of the pizza I copied. It has roasted eggplant, marinated green peppers, caramelized onions, mushrooms, tomato sauce, and herbed tofu ricotta.



For the eggplant, I sliced one eggplant and then cut the slices into four pieces. I let them sit in a sprinkle of salt for a while, then rinsed, mixed with a little olive oil, and roasted for about 20 minutes.

The green peppers were washed, sliced in half, seeds removed, and brushed with olive oil. They roasted until the skins were black and then they were put into a covered dish to "sweat" for a while. The skins then peeled off very easily, they were sliced into thin strips and marinated in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.

I followed this recipe for caramelized onions.

The mushrooms were not pre-cooked, only sliced and added to the pizza before it was baked. I cheated on the pizza sauce and bought a box. The tofu ricotta is from the Vegan Home-style cookbook and a favorite for pizza, lasagna, pasta, anything!