Poblano Pizza with Cilantro-Lime (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ For Cilantro-Lime Crema

01 - ½ cup sour cream
02 - 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
03 - 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
04 - ¾ teaspoon freshly grated lime zest
05 - Juice of ½ lime
06 - ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
07 - ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon dried red chile flakes

→ For Poblano Pesto

08 - 2 large poblano chiles, halved lengthwise, seeded
09 - 2 scallions, trimmed
10 - 4 large garlic cloves, smashed but unpeeled
11 - ¼ cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
12 - ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese
13 - ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
14 - Freshly ground black pepper
15 - ¼ cup olive oil, plus extra for coating vegetables

→ For Pizza Assembly

16 - 1 (14-16 ounce) ball pizza dough
17 - 1 small zucchini, very thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
18 - ⅔ cup crumbled feta cheese
19 - 2 tablespoons raw unsalted pepitas
20 - ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon chili powder
21 - 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

# Instructions:

01 - Preheat the oven to 500°F (if using a baking sheet) or as high as it will go (if using a baking stone/steel; place the stone/steel in the bottom third of the oven). Let preheat for at least 30 minutes. If using a baking stone or steel, switch the oven to Broil on high after preheating.
02 - In a small bowl, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro, lime zest and juice, ¼ teaspoon salt, and red chile flakes. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Cover and refrigerate while preparing the rest of the components.
03 - Heat a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Rub a little olive oil on poblanos, scallions, and unpeeled garlic cloves. When skillet is very hot, add poblanos skin-side down, then scatter scallions and garlic around them. Cook for 6-8 minutes, pressing down firmly on poblanos with a wooden spatula until skins are evenly charred.
04 - Turn off heat and transfer vegetables to a plate. Let cool for about 5 minutes. Peel or scrape off as much of the poblanos' skins as possible, then roughly chop. Cut scallions into 2.5 cm pieces and peel the garlic.
05 - Place poblanos, scallions, and garlic in a food processor. Add ¼ cup packed cilantro leaves, ⅓ cup crumbled feta, ¼ teaspoon salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Pulse until finely chopped, then pour in ¼ cup olive oil and process until mostly smooth but still textured.
06 - Stretch or roll dough into a 30-35 cm circle. Transfer to an oiled or parchment-lined baking sheet or a lightly floured pizza peel (if using a baking stone/steel).
07 - Spread about ¾ cup of poblano pesto over the dough, leaving a 1.25 cm border. Arrange zucchini slices evenly over pesto and sprinkle with remaining ⅔ cup crumbled feta.
08 - Transfer pizza to the oven and bake until crust is evenly browned and cheese has browned in spots—8-10 minutes on a baking sheet, 6-8 minutes on a baking stone/steel.
09 - While pizza bakes, toast pepitas in a dry skillet over medium-high heat until lightly browned. Immediately transfer to a small bowl and toss with chili powder and a pinch of salt.
10 - Remove pizza from oven. Drizzle or pipe crema over the top (either using a small zip-top bag with corner snipped or dollop with a spoon). Sprinkle with seasoned pepitas and remaining tablespoon of chopped cilantro. Slice and serve immediately.

# Notes:

01 - The poblano pesto recipe yields about 1 cup; you'll need about ¾ cup for one pizza.
02 - For a decorative presentation, pipe the crema using a small plastic bag with a corner snipped off.

Back