I’d love to be able to buy a good vegan pesto sauce for those times when I’m too lazy to make one, but so far, I haven’t found a brand that doesn’t contain cheese. No matter, once you get going, pesto is easy to make, and the one used on this pizza packs a nutritional punch with spinach. This pizza makes a splendid way to get lots of greens in one shot.

　　

Ingredients

makes 6 slices

　　1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for oiling the pan

　　Spinach-Miso Pesto (page 219)

　　1 1/2 cups small broccoli florets

　　1 medium green bell pepper, cut into short, narrow strips

　　3/4 cup thinly sliced rounds from a small zucchini

　　3 to 4 garlic cloves, sliced

　　One 12-to 14-inch good-quality pizza crust

　　1 1/2 cups grated vegan mozzarella cheese

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly oil a roasting pan.

　　

Step 2

Combine the ingredients for the pesto with 1/4 cup water in a food processor. Process until smoothly pureed, stopping the machine and scraping down the sides as needed.

　　

Step 3

Combine the broccoli, bell pepper, zucchini, and garlic in a mixing bowl and drizzle with the olive oil. Stir together. Transfer the vegetables to the prepared pan and put in the oven. Stir after 10 minutes and continue to roast until the vegetables are touched with brown spots here and there.

　　

Step 4

Meanwhile, spread the pesto on the pizza crust and sprinkle evenly with the cheese. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is nicely melted. Remove from the oven, let stand for a minute, then cut into 6 wedges (it’s easier to cut the pizza before piling on the veggies).

　　

Step 5

When the vegetables are done, distribute them evenly over the pizza slices. If the pizza came out of the oven a few minutes before the vegetables, put the whole thing back into the oven for a couple of minutes to get everything piping hot, then serve at once.

　　

Menu Suggestions

Step 6

While the pizza is baking, you have time to make Chickpea and Carrot Salad with Parsley and Olives (page 190) or, if you prefer, a salad of baby greens with chickpeas, tomatoes, and carrots.

　　

Step 7

As an alternative to salad, serve this with a platter of baby carrots (with a creamy vegan dressing as a dip, if you like), cherry or grape tomatoes, and sliced oranges.

　　

Step 8

See the menu with Orzo Soup with Roasted Vegetables (page 24).

　　

nutrition information

Step 9

(per slice)

　　

Step 10

Calories: 368

　　

Step 11

Total Fat: 16.5g

　　

Step 12

Protein: 11g

　　

Step 13

Carbohydrates: 43g

　　

Step 14

Fiber: 5g

　　

Step 15

Sodium: 595mg

　　Reprinted with permission from Vegan Express: Featuring 160 Recipes for Quick, Delicious, and Healthy Meals by Nava Atlas. Copyright © 2008 by Nava Atlas. Excerpted by permission of Broadway, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.Nava Atlas is the author of nine cookbooks, including The Vegetarian Family Cookbook, The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet, and Vegetarian Soups for All Seasons. She lives in the Hudson Valley region of New York with her husband and two teenage sons (all vegans).