Pizza Scalp
I know the name of this recipe sounds disgusting but let me give you some context so you understand. My husband loves pizza, but enjoys the toppings more than he likes the crust. So if there is leftover pizza lying around and he’s in the vicinity, he will proceed to eat all the toppings off the pizza and leave the “pizza bones” to the unsuspecting person who left said pizza out in the first place. We proceed to chide him for “scalping” our good pizza.
In an effort to stop the insanity, I decided to make him Pizza Scalp. Basically this is all the good toppings of the pizza without the crust. If you are gluten free or going for a lower carb meal, this is a great way to still enjoy the flavors of pizza but without the gluten and carbs. Sacrilege you might say, but it works for us! There are no rules to making pizza scalp. Simply think about the things you love on top of pizza and then arrange them in a baking dish and bake. We usually eat with steamed spinach or zucchini noodles. This is the version I made last night:
Ingredients
1 container whole milk ricotta cheese
1 egg
1 10 oz package frozen spinach, thawed and juice pressed out
1 T Italian seasoning (or a mix of dried basil, oregano, garlic and thyme)
1 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. kosher salt
1 lb. grass-fed beef
1 lb. Italian sausage
1 lb. mushrooms
1 jar quality marinara sauce (I used some from Thrive Market)
8–16 oz shredded mozzarella cheese or Italian cheese blend
1/2 c. fresh parmesan reggiano
Instructions
Mix ricotta, 1 beaten egg, spinach, Italian seasoning, garlic powder and salt in a bowl. Meanwhile, salute the grassfed beef and the Italian sausage until cooked through. Toss in the mushrooms and cook until slightly softened. Drain off excess liquid.
In a rectangular baking dish, spread the ricotta mixture along the bottom of the pan. Pour half of the marina on top and spread evenly with a spatula. Spoon beef/sausage/mushroom mixture over ricotta and marinara. Top with a bit more marinara (you may have some leftover because you don’t want it too watery) and sprinkle mozzarella cheese all over the top. Shake parmesan over the first cheese. Bake at 350 until hot and bubbly and top browns to your liking.
Dip zucchini rounds or steamed broccoli into hot toppings or serve on top of zucchini noodles or baked eggplant.
Variations: add pepperoni, red pepper and onions, black olives, goat cheese or whatever your heart desires. You can also omit the ricotta and add different cheeses if you like.
Cold “scalp” is great the next day as well! The hardest part is not eating the whole thing in one sitting.
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