Basil and Cottage Cheese Pizza

Try this for your next pizza...

This pizza contains a blend of three cheeses: grated Parmesan, large curd cottage cheese, and shredded Mozzarella.

There's the wonderful flavor of fresh basil, melding with the tang of the tomatoes and the savory garlic.

There's no sauce, per se. Instead, the cottage cheese adds the necessary moisture and creaminess that's generally added by a tomato sauce or white pizza sauce. Cottage cheese, which is protein-rich and low in fat, also significantly enhances the texture and flavor of this atypical cheese pizza.

The taste is fantastic.

You can top essentially any pizza crust with this combination of toppings. Of course I think you should try making your own dough (see my easy pizza dough recipe).

Basil and Cottage Cheese Pizza
Estimated preparation time: 15 minutes + dough preparation (see recipe)
Baking time: 15 - 20 minutes
Serves: 4 - 6 (one pizza)

Ingredients

• 1 large pizza crust (could use My Recipe)
• 2 tablespoons salted butter
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1-2 medium tomatoes
• 20-30 fresh basil leaves
• Grated Parmesan cheese
• Freshly-grated black pepper
• 3 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
• 1 cup large curd low-fat or nonfat cottage cheese
• Kosher salt
• 1/4 cup onion, chopped
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

1. Begin preparing pizza dough according to my recipe or the package directions.

2. While the pizza dough is rising in the bowl (step #6 in my recipe), prepare the topping ingredients. Gather and rinse the basil, chop the onion, and slice the tomato and discard its seeds.

3. Lightly grease a pizza pan.
4. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (or temperature specified by dough/crust instructions). 
5. Spread pizza dough on greased pizza pan.

6. Melt butter and stir in the minced garlic.

7. Spoon the butter-garlic mixture on top of the dough, then use a silicone brush to spread it evenly across the dough, avoiding the edges.

8. Slice the fresh basil into approximate quarters or sixths, and sprinkle them over the pizza.

9. Lightly sprinkle on some Parmesan cheese.

10. Grate a light amount of black pepper over the pizza.
11. Add the feta cheese, crumbled evenly over the pizza.

12. Measure 1 cup of cottage cheese. Drop it by small spoonfuls around the pizza, avoiding the edges.

13. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and the chopped onions over top.
14. Arrange tomato slices on top of the pizza.

15. Spread the mozzarella cheese over the pizza.

16. Bake the pizza for 15-20 minutes on the middle oven rack. *Place a sheet of aluminum foil on a rack beneath the pizza to catch possible drips.

17. Allow pizza to cool for 2 minutes before slicing and serving.

Enjoy!