5 from 1 review

Padrón Pepper Margherita Pizza {gluten-free}

Name: Padrón Pepper Margherita Pizza {gluten-free}
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 parbaked gluten-free pizza crust; 1 1/4 cups small padrón peppers, stems snipped ((2.5 ounces / 70g) ); 1 teaspoon good olive oil, plus more for drizzling; 4-6 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced and drained on paper towels ((170g) ); 2-3 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled ((85g) (1/2 cup)); 1 cup cherry tomatoes, stemmed and halved ((4 ounces / 113g) ); flaky salt; cracked black pepper; handful small basil leaves

By Alanna Taylor-Tobin on Jul 22, 2015 (updated Feb 18, 2020) / 30 Comments Jump to Recipe

Margherita pizza gets an update from piquant padrón peppers, a touch of chèvre, and a gluten-free, whole-grain crust.

Our favorite nightshades are in season and Jay and I can't get enough of the little green devils. (In fact, we're a whole family of capsicum lovers – Catamus sits at the table as we munch, eating the stems. He's weird.) Usually we fry them up with olive oil and sea salt, but when we crave something more substantial, we tuck them into tacos, press them into savory cornbread, put them on pizza, or fold them into sprouted wheat tortillas along with melted cheese, chopped cherry tomatoes, salsa and avocado.

Tiny padróns are full-flavored peppers that hail from Spain. They aren't sweet the way bell peppers are, and only about 1 in 10 or 20 is spicy, thus earning them the nickname "pepper roulette." I've heard that since peppers cross-breed easily, if you get a batch of über-hot padróns, they've probably been contaminated by a spicy cousin. My favorite farms for padróns in Northern California are Riverdog and Happy Boy; both produce consistently delicate peppers. Otherwise, the best way to go about padrón vetting is to buy a small basket, cook them up, see how many are inedibly spicy and give you hiccups when you take a teeny nibble. If they're safe, then go back to the same place and snap them up. Another way to avoid the spice is to look for peppers that are small – preferably 1-2 inches in length – and a matte dark green. As the peppers mature, they develop more heat as well as a shiny, thick skin and lighter color that eventually explodes into bright red.

Today I put the peppers on my favorite GF pizza crust, which is full of flavorful flours and free of gums, using ground chia seed and a bit of tapioca flour to create a dough that's extensible enough to trap air bubbles and bake up into a crispy base for all manner of toppings. We couldn't wait to tuck into gooey mozzarella, juicy cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, creamy chèvre, and the star of the show: piquant padróns.

I kept this pizza pretty simple with just the usual margherita suspects plus padróns and a bit of goat cheese. But do feel free to go wild. I imagine that some other good additions here could be marinara sauce, roasted garlic, slivered red onion, olives, lemon zest, cilantro pesto, or jamon serrano for omnivores.

Look for padróns at farmer's markets and well-stocked grocers. If they aren't about, feel free to use other peppers here such as banana peppers, gypsies, bells, or even roasted poblanos or anaheims for a bit of pep in your pizza.

Buon appetiti!

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5 from 1 review

Padrón Pepper Margherita Pizza {gluten-free}

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Margherita pizza gets an update from piquant padrón peppers, a touch of chèvre, and a gluten-free, whole-grain crust.

Alanna Taylor-Tobin

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 10

Total: 20

Servings: 2 to 3 servings (makes one 10-11" pizza)

Ingredients

1 parbaked gluten-free pizza crust
1 1/4 cups small padrón peppers, stems snipped (2.5 ounces / 70g)
1 teaspoon good olive oil, plus more for drizzling
4-6 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced and drained on paper towels (170g)
2-3 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled (85g) (1/2 cup)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, stemmed and halved (4 ounces / 113g)
flaky salt
cracked black pepper
handful small basil leaves

Instructions

Follow the instructions for parbaking the pizza crust. Keep the oven at 500ºF.
In a small bowl, toss the trimmed padróns with the olive oil.
When the crust is parbaked, top it with the mozzarella, goat cheese, halved cherry tomatoes, oiled padróns, and a good sprinkle of flaky salt and black pepper. Use a pizza peel to slip the pizza into the oven and onto the hot baking stone (or inverted baking pan). Bake until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbly, 6-10 minutes.
Use tongs to grab the pizza out of the oven and onto the pizza peel, then transfer to a large cutting board. Drizzle with olive oil, top with the fresh basil leaves, and use a pizza wheel or large, sharp chef's knife to cut it into 6 pieces. Serve immediately.
Leftovers will keep well, refrigerated airtight, for up to 2 days. The best way to reheat them is to place pizza slices in a cast iron skillet over low heat and warm, uncovered, until the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes.

Notes

Look for padróns that are on the small side and dark green. And feel free to play fast and loose with the toppings; I've listed some suggestions in the post above.

Nutritional values are based on one of two servings.

Nutrition

Calories: 574kcalCarbohydrates: 58gProtein: 26gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 58mgSodium: 1469mgPotassium: 368mgFiber: 5gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 1515IUVitamin C: 92.3mgCalcium: 344mgIron: 1.6mg

Making this? I'd love to see!Tag your snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet!

Padrón Pepper Margherita Pizza {gluten-free}

If gluten isn't an issue for you or your guests, feel free to use these toppings over your favorite wheaty pizza crust. (This is mine.) And just a note that my GF pizza crust recipe makes enough for two pizzas but I've listed the ingredients below for one in case you want to change it up. Look for padróns that are on the small side and dark green. And feel free to play fast and loose with the toppings; I've listed some suggestions in the post above.Makes 1 (10-11") pizza, serving 2-3

1 parbaked gluten-free pizza crust
1 1/4 cups (2.5 ounces / 70 g) small padrón peppers, stems snipped
1 teaspoon good olive oil, plus more for drizzling
4-6 ounces (170 g) fresh mozzarella, sliced and drained on paper towels
2-3 ounces (85 g) fresh goat cheese, crumbled (1/2 cup)
1 cup (4 ounces / 113 g) cherry tomatoes, stemmed and halved
flaky salt
cracked black pepper
handful small basil leaves

Follow the instructions for parbaking the pizza crust. Keep the oven at 500ºF.

In a small bowl, toss the trimmed padróns with the olive oil.

When the crust is parbaked, top it with the mozzarella, goat cheese, halved cherry tomatoes, oiled padróns, and a good sprinkle of flaky salt and black pepper. Use a pizza peel to slip the pizza into the oven and onto the hot baking stone (or inverted baking pan). Bake until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbly, 6-10 minutes.

Use tongs to grab the pizza out of the oven and onto the pizza peel, then transfer to a large cutting board. Drizzle with olive oil, top with the fresh basil leaves, and use a pizza wheel or large, sharp chef's knife to cut it into 6 pieces. Serve immediately.

Leftovers will keep well, refrigerated airtight, for up to 2 days. The best way to reheat them is to place pizza slices in a cast iron skillet over low heat and warm, uncovered, until the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes.

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Comments

5 from 1 vote

Padrón Pepper Margherita Pizza {gluten-free}

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