Tony Gemignani, pizza master and restaurateur
It’s 2022 and we are all thinking about eating healthier, changing our lifestyle or trying something new. In the last 10 years there has been a lot of movement in the world of vegan/plant forward products in the pizza industry. Many cheeses and ingredients in this category have tremendously improved in flavor, texture and aroma. At Pizza Expo 2021 there were several booths that showcased vegan products. The renaissance is here and if you’re not on top of it you may be left behind. Vegan cheeses are 100-percent animal-free, and made using vegetable proteins. Usually they’re made from soy or nuts, such as cashews and macadamias. They are typically made with vegetable oils, such as coconut oil. You can also find cheeses that derive from tapioca, peas and arrowroot. Some of the plant forward ingredients are so good that you may not know they are not real meat or pork. Look for some of my favorites like pourable vegan cheese, plant based cup-n-char style pepperoni and feta. Here is one of my delicious plant forward pizza recipes:
- 10-12-ounce dough ball
- 3.5 ounces pepperoni cup-n-char style (plant forward)
- 1.5 ounce chorizo (plant forward)
- 4 ounces tomato sauce
- 4½ - 5 ounces vegan cheese (preferably pourable)
- 2 ounces sliced banana peppers
- 0.7 ounce sliced Serrano or jalapeño peppers
- Drizzle hot sauce or Sriracha
- 0.4 ounce sliced green onion
- 0.5 ounce chopped garlic
- Sprinkle dry oregano
- 2 ounce plant forward feta (optional)
- Shape and stretch your pizza into a 12-inch circle. Sauce your pizza leaving a ¼ inch border.
- Using a squeeze bottle pour the vegan cheese making it even and leveled.
- Add the garlic, plant forward pepperoni and chorizo.
- Place you pizza into the oven.
- When your pizza is finished baking cut into desired slices.
- Add both peppers, hot sauce, green onion, feta and oregano.
- Serve and enjoy.
TONY GEMIGNANI is one of America’s most influential pizza makers. Instagram: @capopizza Photo: Tony Gemignani
