Meatless Monday Roundup: 4 Vegetarian Pizza Recipes

Pizza is a dinnertime favorite, but instead of ordering in, make it yourself! There are a host of different pizza recipes ranging from simple to complex, with such a variety of ingredients that you’re sure not to miss the meat on Meatless Monday. In fact, vegetarian pizza recipes can help you appreciate the beauty and simplicity in the perfect combination of crust, sauce and cheese!
Start things off with the classic pizza margherita, depicted above. Just tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and basil make up this pizza, which shares the colors of the Italian flag. This is no coincidence: the margherita pizza was named for Queen Consort Margherita of Savoy, in whose honor the pizza was invented in Naples. She loved the tricolor pizza that reflected the colors of her flag.

Image: Kate Sears
Often, the longest portion of pizza recipes are the crusts. Not so with our polenta-based version which also happens to be gluten-free. A polenta crust is topped with fresh ingredients like cherry tomatoes and mozzarella, avoiding the second-longest part of any pizza recipe: the sauce. With this polenta pizza, you have no excuse not to make Meatless Monday pizza night as well!

Image: GlowKitchen
For another alternative pizza recipe, our portabello pizza does away with carbs altogether! This stacked individually sized pizza has a meaty portabello mushroom base topped with sliced tomatoes, mozzarella and herbs. Easy to make, particularly for one or two.

Image: Alpha
Pizza can also be a great excuse to pack in the veggies. Use whatever is in season, throwing them on the grill if you can. This delicious vegetable pizza from Sara Moulton adds tons of vitamins and minerals to what can be an unhealthy dinner choice. Add a side salad, and you’ve got your five-a-day, easy!
Top image: Valerio Capello