Farmers Market Harvest Pizza + Zucchini, Peppers
Homemade pizza with zucchini topping is ready fast with premade crust! Tasty, cheesy pizza with tomatoes and peppers, and topped with pickled onions and chives showcases the season’s best.
My favorite time of year at the farmers market is the glorious window when zucchini, tomatoes and peppers of all stripes and Schoville heat levels can be found in farmers markets. When you pile this fantastic trio atop a pizza crust and smother it with tangy Monterey Jack cheese, taste bud magic happens.
And don’t worry: We’re using premade pizza crusts, which means this recipe is weeknight-approved! Prep should only take you about 15 minutes, then toss your pizzas in the oven and call it a day.
Celebrate some of the season’s best with this vegetarian harvest pizza, loaded with bell peppers, mild green chiles, fresh tomatoes and zucchini. This pizza is coated in a thin layer of olive oil and marinara sauce, and has a kiss of garlic. It’s a simple, beautiful vegetarian meal that puts mother nature’s gifts front and center.
I like to take it to the next level by topping with some pickled onions and diced chives, though that’s optional. The acidity of the pickled onions is a bright, beautiful contrast to the saucy, savory pizza.
Jump to RecipeThis pizza stores well in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat it in the oven for peak crusty perfection.
I’ve got lots of ideas for substitutions and ways you can make this pizza your own (hello, ricotta!), so read on for those.
Ingredients
- 9-inch pizza crusts: premade or frozen
- Zucchini
- Mild, large green chile (e.g. Poblano, Anaheim, Hatch chiles)
- Bell pepper
- Roma tomatoes
- Marinara sauce
- Monterey Jack
- Olive oil
- Garlic powder
- Salt and pepper
Optional, for garnish:
- Pickled onions
- Chives
If you would like to make quick pickled onions from scratch, check out this recipe from Cookie and Kate.
What To Know About Pizza With Zucchini Topping
As noted in the recipe instructions be sure to slice your zucchini as thinly as possible, and avoid overlapping zucchini slices. This is because zucchini carries a LOT of water, and too much water = soggy pizza.
For the same reason, try to remove the soggy inside part of tomatoes where the seeds are kept. (Uh, is there a technical name for this? If so, please share your expertise in the comments LOL.)
It also helps to lightly salt your tomatoes and allow them to sit for a few minutes before layering onto your pizza. This helps some of that extra water drain off.
Substitutions: Make This Homemade Zucchini Pizza Your Own
Here are some items you might consider adding or substituting in this pizza recipe.
Cheese:
- Parmesan garnish
- Scoops of ricotta
- Shredded fontina
Meat:
- Sausage, thinly sliced
- Bacon/pancetta crumbles
- Canadian bacon
- Precooked chicken breast
Veggies/Herbs:
- Cherry tomatoes
- Olives
- Mushrooms
- Artichoke hearts
- Eggplant
- Green onion
- Thyme
- Basil
How To Make This Harvest Pizza
The order matters here. In short: Sauce/cheese first, then add toppings big to small.
Preheat oven and place your premade pizza crusts on a baking sheet(s) or baking stone(s). If using frozen pizza crust, defrost first (this usually doesn’t take too long).
Spoon a light layer of marinara sauce onto your pizza crusts, leaving about one inch of the edges exposed. Drizzle a generous amount of olive oil over the entirety of the pizza (this doesn’t have to be an exact science, but the idea is that you want to taste the olive oil when you bite into the pizza.)
Sprinkle a light layer of garlic powder over the marinara sauce on each pizza crust. Sprinkle Monterey Jack on top — at least enough to cover the majority of the marinara sauce.
Layer toppings in the following order: Zucchini, tomato, bell pepper, green chile. Feel free to add a little extra cheese on top if you want the crispy, browning cheese effect. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
Bake pizza according to instructions on the package, or until you can see signs that it’s done — browning crust, roasting veggies, etc.
Remove from the oven and serve when it’s closer to room temperature. Garnish with pickled onion, chives and parmesan, if desired.
Grab A Glass: Daryn’s Pairin’
Note from Courtney: This food and wine pairing is brought to you by my wonderful dad and armchair sommelier, Daryn!
When pairing wine with Courtney’s delicious fall pizza, it’s all about the toppings you choose. For her classic vegetarian harvest pizza recipe, you might want something crisp that won’t compete with the flavors of the veggies. I suggest a sparkling white, such as J Vineyards’ delicious California Cuvée from Sonoma County. Nice floral aromas on the nose, fresh lemon and lime on the palate.
If you choose to layer on some of the meats she lists as possible substitutes (this is how she customizes it for her dad 😉), you might want something with soft tannins that are just strong enough to pair up with the fats in those proteins. I recommend a fruit-forward Zinfandel, such as the estate Zin made by Castoro Cellars in Paso Robles. Pleasant strawberry and raspberry on the nose, juicy plum and blackberry on the palate.
Harvest Pizza With Zucchini, Tomatoes, Peppers
Equipment
- baking stone or baking sheet
Ingredients
- 2 9-inch premade pizza crusts defrosted, if frozen
- 1 large handful thinly sliced zucchini approx. 1/2 mid-sized zucchini
- 1 chile Hatch, poblano, Anaheim, thinly sliced and seeds removed
- 1/2 bell pepper sliced into strips
- 2 roma tomatoes sliced
- 2/3 c. marinara sauce
- 2 tbsp. of garlic powder approximately
- 1.5 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese substitute mozzarella or another cheese of your choice
- Few glugs of olive oil
- Optional for garnish: Pickled onion, chives
Instructions
- Preheat oven according to instructions on premade pizza crust packaging. If using frozen pizza crust, defrost according to the package instructions.
- Divide topping ingredients evenlyto split between both pizzas. Spread a thin layer of marinara sauce sauce, leaving about one inch of the edges exposed. Drizzle a generous amount of olive oil over the entirety of the pizza.
- Sprinkle a light layer of garlic powder over the marinara sauce on each pizza crust and add cheese.
- Layer toppings in the following order: Zucchini, tomato, bell pepper, green chile. Feel free to add a little extra cheese on top if you want the crispy, browning cheese effect. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
- Bake pizza approx. 10 to 15 minutes, or according to instructions on the package. Look for signs such as browning crust, roasting veggies, browning cheese, etc.
- Remove from the oven and serve when it’s closer to room temperature. Garnish with pickled onion, chives and parmesan, if desired.
Honolulu girl obsessed with farmers markets, eating, seasonal ingredients, eating, writing and eating. Read more about me here and get new recipes from me every week @feedthesoulblog.
Looks awesome!! Who doesn’t LOVE pizza?
Amen!