A simple polenta crust pizza topped with fresh basil, parsley, sliced black olives and ripe red tomato. An Italian classic made gluten-free and vegan without missing one hint of flavor!
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Why is pizza such a popular food? Because it’s really good, that’s why! Nothing else to it! I’m so glad that pizza can be made to fit any diet and accommodate an dietary needs. Just like granola, pizza has endless combinations, pairing, and possibilities! From the crust to the toppings, every component can be customized to make a perfect pie just for you. I guess pizza is also like a salad. First you choose the base, and then you choose all the toppings (which really matter), and the sauce could be like the dressing. But when you want the crust, the base, to shine, it’s best to keep the toppings simple, having every component count.
When you’re making pizza with polenta as the crust, you don’t want to overwhelm the glory that is with too many toppings, but just the right ones. This is when the classics, the tried-and-true flavors are best. That’s why I chose fresh flavorful basil and parsley. California Ripe Black Olives, and vine ripe red tomato. Elegant, simple, but so much flavor (and the smell was beyond!). Classic Italian Mediterranean staples that won’t disappoint you in the pizza combo department.
It’s obvious to use fresh herbs when making a pizza. All that summer basil and parsley is continually being used in my kitchen and there is no stopping! Since I chose to not coat this crust with sauce, I sliced a beautiful ripe tomato, so I could still get that fresh bite of sweet acidity. Then there are the olives. I can finally say I will always put olives on my pizza now. I just love that tender salty bite! I actually hate salty things, thus, why I don’t cook with salt, but a few bites of olives and I’m happy! I’ve been making a lot of recipe with olives recently and I just love them more and more each time! Not only do they provide a lovely Mediterranean flare to any dish, but they are so easy to use and a great source of healthy fats, vitamin E, A, iron, and fiber!
California Ripe Olives is running a fantastic Midsummer Mediterranean Giveaway on Facebook where you could win a prize pack to enjoy the tasty flavors of the Mediterranean too! How wouldn’t want to win some olives 😉 They aren’t just for pizza, olives are so great thrown into anything! From hummus, sandwiches, sauces, pasta, chicken, anything! Olives are one of those pantry staples to always have on hand. I always keep a few cans of black olives on hand.
Side note: were you one of those kids (or adults) that would put whole black olives on the tips of your fingers? Don’t be shy, I know you did it 😉 What’s more fun than eating olives off your fingers! Hahahaha! Childhood nostalgia! I haven’t done that in years, but I remember. I usually buy them already sliced so that defeats the “olive finger-puppet thing”, but still. Long live the olive!
Italian Polenta Pizza
- For the Polenta Crust:
- ½ Cup Polenta (Corn Grits)
- 1½ Cup Water
- ½ Tsp Minced Garlic
- ½ Tsp Onion Powder1/2 Tsp Dried Basil
- ¼ Tsp Black Pepper
- 1 TB Nutritional Yeast
- Toppings:
- 2 TB Chopped Fresh Italian Parsley
- 1 TB Chopped Fresh Basil
- 2-3 Ripe Red Tomato Slices
- 3 TB California Ripe Black Olives (rinsed and sliced)
- Preheat the oven to 415°F.
- In a pot, bring 1½ cups of water to a boil, then add the dry polenta. Reduce to low heat, stirring, for 3-5 minutes until water is absorbed. Allow it to cool for about 10 minutes as you mix in the spices and nutritional yeast.
- Spread the cooled polenta mixture on a parchment (or silpat) lined baking sheet. It will be very sticky (I used my fingers to shape it, but you can use a rubber spatula).
- Now top the polenta crust with the prepared toppings. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove, let cool just a bit, and serve. This is great eaten hot or cold!
I always forget how much I love polenta! But since it sticks together so great, it make the best gluten-free crust for pizza! This pizza can be one big serving or you can share it with a lovely dear friend….if you’re nice 😉 But when it comes to pizza, sharing isn’t always an easy option!
So tell me:
+ Do you like olives? What’s you’re favorite variety?
+ Simple pizza toppings or do you go all out?
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
*Recipe linking up for the week! Allergy Free Wednesdays, #RecipeOfTheWeek,#StrangeButGood, Gluten-Free Wednesdays, Real Food Friday, Gluten-Free Fridays,Tasty Tuesdays, Savoring Saturdays, Healthy Vegan Fridays, Tasty Tuesdays, Meatless Mondays, Lena’s Tasty Tuesdays!*
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Love the sound of this. Great alternative to wheat.
For sure!
Yum!
🙂
This looks so good!
Thanks!
Sounds delicious. 🙂
Thanks!
This looks amazing!!! xo
Thanks!
What a creative way of making a gluten-free crust! I’m not a huge fan of olives, but this sounds pretty good.
Thanks for sharing this at Healthy vegan Fridays! I’m featuring this awesome recipe tomorrow =) Pinning!
Thanks Kimmy! I bet this will get you to love olives a bit more 😛
So yummy! You truly outdid yourself with this creative and delectable recipe. I love the fact that this is so easy to make.
Thank you!
I can’t wait to give this recipe a try, it looks awesome!
Thank you!
Sounds and looks wonderful! Pizza is always good no matter how it’s made but the polenta crust is a nice twist.
Haha, you are so right! Thanks Shirley!
Thank you for sharing another great recipe!
Thanks!
I’ve been trying out gluten-free pizza dough recently in an aim to develop my “free-from” repertoire. However, so far it’s been pretty much an inedible disaster. I’ve not tried using polenta for it so I’ll have to give this a try. Thanks for sharing – this may well have solved a problem for me 🙂 #TastyTuesdays
The polenta works like magic! You will love this one and it couldn’t be any easier!
This looks delicious and I like the idea of using polenta for the base #tastytuesdays
Thank you!
I love olives, especially the green ones! This looks delicious! I have never thought to use polenta as a pizza crust! Brilliant!
Haha, and I dislike the green ones!
I love polenta pizza! It is fab isn’t it? And yours looks really delicious. Great photos as always!
You’ve made a large polenta crust before?
My cousin David and I would hide under the dining room table until the salad was put out, then emerge and steal all the black olives off the top of it and stuff our faces with them. We may have eaten them off our fingers, too. I couldn’t love black olives more if I tried.
Hahahahaha! I love that! The “olive-capers” 😉
I love polenta – come from an Italian family and my grandma taught me how to make it from scratch. I normally make it in the winter with a nice chicken stew sauce. This pizza looks like something I need to try because I think it would be really good – especially since I have lots of herbs in the garden. Very Clever!
Haha, doesn’t take much effort from scratch, that’s why I love it!
Polenta is what got me through my pasta detox! I love how well is goes with so many flavor profiles! This is a great idea and I can’t wait to make it!
It’s a black slate ingredient for sure!
When I was a kid, my mom would buy an Astra can of black olives any time she was serving them because she knew her daughters would eat at least that much.
Don’t know how auto correct turned “extra” into Astra, but that’s what I meant.
I was wondering what that was 😛 XOXO
Olive love!
I love Polenta too! I like your twist on it.
Thanks!
This looks really wonderful! I’m always looking for gluten free crust alternatives – and I can’t believe I didn’t think of polenta! Brilliant!
Thank you! The perfect healthy fun alternative!
Wow looks delicious! I’ve never eaten polenta pizza x
Totally give it a try!
This is good!! What an amazing idea to use polenta as a pizza base… Yum!! and the toppings so flavorsome 😉
Thank you!
Hahaha, totally guilty of putting the olives on my finger tips 😉 It’s just so much fun 😀 The last time I have done this is not THAT long ago either…I love this kind of pizza! Can you actually cut it in slices? Haven’t made polenta in a while, you just reminded me of how much I enjoy the taste.
I know! We should start an olive finger-puppet show 😉
Yes!!! The polenta crust worked way better than I’d planned, haha!
Love this idea! I’ve never even thought of using polenta before! Brilliant! And I’m loving you photography!…I LOVE olives, especially Greek marinated olives!
Thank you so much! Polenta is so fun since it can take the form of anything!
Never thought of using polenta as a crust. What a great idea! I can’t wait till we get home so I can try this recipe out.
Thanks!
I am so excited to try this! Pinning and sharing!
Thank you so much!
I love polenta pizzas (and polenta crusts and polenta tarts and polenta EVERYTHING!) and yours looks SO good!
Hope you have an amaaaazing weekend, girl!
Corn for days 😉
My favorite olives are kalamata and I think they would be delicious in this recipe with tomatoes and maybe some fresh mozarella! I’m hungry and it is bedtime!
Thanks for sharing,
Patti
Pizza love!
Love this! A polenta pizza – how fun! I’m definitely going to have to try this out soon. Pinning for a fun pizza night in our future! Have a great weekend 🙂
I hope you do Kathryn!
MMM I love polenta. And olives. Okay, everything about this post!!
Hahaha, thank you Jess!
What a fun idea! I love polenta. I used to buy the rolls of it and slice it off to cook like mini pizzas. Totally forgot about hat! I need to try this big one!
I never liked the rolls, all that sodium! So I’ve always just cooked it from scratch 😉
Right?! That’s why I quit buying them!
Polenta always reminds me of being a kid for some reason – it’s just so homey and delicious. I love how you’ve made it the crust for your pizza!
It is! Thank you!
I love polenta pizza! 🙂 Yours looks awesome, Rebecca!
O really! You’ve done it before?
I absolutely love everything about this! I hated olives as a kid, but now I love them and yes I’ve been known to entertain the kids with dancing olive fingers once or twice ???? Can’t wait to try this!
Hahaha, yay for the dancing olives! We should all play with out food sometimes 😉 XOXO
I’ve never thought of using polenta as a pizza crust! This is genius. I know I will be trying any and every vegan pizza crust I can find! Thanks for the recipe lady!
It’s a good one! I hope you give it a try!
This looks amazing ! Love olives #brilliantblogposts
Woohoo! Thanks!
I love polenta and love how you have used it here…same with the Cal Olives.
Thank you Michelle! It’s one great combo!
Looks really yummy. I’ve never thought of using polenta as a pizza base before. I’ve actually never cooked with polenta!
Thanks for sharing.
Sally @ Life Loving
#brilliantblogposts
You’ll love polenta! So quick to cook!
This looks so yummy, Rebecca! I never thought to make a polenta crust, but all I can say is COLOR ♥♥♥ This looks great, especially with all those olives on top 🙂 {and my faves are definitely Kalamata! 🙂 }
So right! Bright Pizza! Haha!
My mom is all about the kalamata. I think just black are my favorite though!
Polenta is my faveeee. I’ve always wanted to try a polenta-based crust and this looks delicious!
You totally need to make this then!
How creative to use polenta for the crust! Looks so delicious!
Thank you Sabrina!
This Italian pizza sounds amazing! Never thought of polenta crust. Great idea! I love that it’s healthy and looks delicious!
Thank you so much Neli!
I love polenta pizza! Your version looks so flavorful and rustic Rebecca!
Thank you! I was going for the rustic vibe 😉
Polenta as a base – how usual but creative thinking.
Thanks!
This looks so flavorful and tasty! Very cool idea with the polenta crust. I mean who can say no to pizza?
NO one, that’s who 😉 Haha, thanks Florian!
I applaud you for keeping the toppings simple – that is never easy for me for pizza…or any food actually! Looks delicious!
I have so many crazier pizzas, I wanted the crust to shine in this one 😉
I love love love this recipe Rebecca, I got my entire family hooked on Cauliflower pizza and this polenta pizza just takes it to another level. I can’t wait to try this one out. I love polenta. 🙂
Move over cauliflower 😉
Why have I never thought to use polenta like this, so genius. I’m going to admit that olives and I just don’t get along, but I will happily substitute them for artichokes and devour this pizza pronto!! Thanks for sharing!
Like I said, pizzas should be topped however you want! Let the pizza-dreams run wild! XOXO
Very nice! I’d love to try that for pizza crust and I really love olives, so, yum!
Pizza and olives <3
What a great idea to use polenta for the pizza crust! So creative! And yummy! It looks delicious!
Thank you Michelle!
I would’ve never thought to use polenta for a pizza crust! Such a great idea. This looks delicious and now I want pizza!
I was pretty excited about how it came out! Thanks Liz!
A polenta pizza crust is so brilliant! I love black olives and like to keep my pizza simple- but with tons of veggies !
Thank you! Yes to all the veggies! The fresh taste we want!
Wow! I would have never have thought to use Polenta for a crust. I will definitely give this a try. Thank you!
Best,
Chrystal
The perfect gluten-free crust, right 😉 Thanks dear!
I’ve tried for years to like olives but I just CAN’T! Polenta, on the other hand, is delightful!
Haha, I can’t get behind green olives…I think they’re pretty gross, but otherwise, I like them 😉
I LOVE this idea! That crust looks to die for! I’m definitely going to try this…minus the olives. 🙂 Just can’t get into those.
Haha, as long as you make the crust, go crazy with any toppings!
Wow! That polenta crust sounds amazing – all of the flavours in it sound sooo good. Love the addition of nutritional yeast! I’ve never really cooked with polenta before, but I definitely want to now. I have to try this! Love the olives on top too. Yum!
I always need my little bit of cheezy flavor 😉
Polenta is so quick to cook, that’s why I love it!
So I mihgt not be the biggest olive fan, but this crust is AWESOME!!!!!! I have been really craving pizza lately but too lazy to feel like making a crust, but this is such a creative crust concept that I never would’ve thought of! And I agree, keep toppings simple. Tomatoes are a must, as are herbs, and in addition to that I usually go mushrooms or cauli-crumbles, or zucchini 🙂
Ah, yea! Mushrooms! When I HATED them as a kid, I would be so grossed out when my mom would order mushroom pizza, but then I feel in love with all mushrooms a few years ago and yea 😉 Although, I still like mushrooms raw much more than cooked!
Polenta pizza..wow…how creative! You never cease to amaze me!
Haha, thank you Ali!
I absolutely LOVE polenta so this would be a great new pizza variation for us. Thanks!
I hope you give it a try!
Love this, and your are spot on… who doesn’t love pizza! I have to admit, I am not a fan of black olives, but pretty sure if I swap them with mushrooms this would be 100% in my belly in no time! Great idea! Good thing I just ordered polenta 🙂
I say top this polenta crust with anything! 😉
I love this idea. We picked up some polenta from a very small mill in North Carolina. This would be a perfect way to enjoy it.
Yea! Give it a shot!
Polenta as a pizza crust? Genius. And you’re so right – there’s nothing better than the flavor of fresh herbs. Love this!
Ming blowing, right? 😉 Haha! It’s really yummy!!!
Yea, and the fresh herbs…a MUST for pizza! All about the homemade taste and fresh herbs need to be included!
thanks for making me drool at 7am. I need this now! polenta is amazing and those olives? swoon
I always used my favorite brown rice tortillas for pizza, but polenta is where it’s at now!
Oh, using polenta as a crust, GREAT idea! and ick, I hate olives, too salty 😛
Confession: I always rinse my olives off under water 😛
I love olives! All varieties! We go through them so quickly each week in our home since we put them on everything! This pizza looks great, it’s been forever since I’ve had polenta! yum!
We have tons of jars and cans in our house too!
I hand’y had polenta in awhile either, and then pizza seemed like the perfect way to bring it back!
I love olives…and yes I was one of those kids who stuck them on my fingers. I think every kid does that! Your pizza looks devine and I bet using a polenta crust is yummy. I must try that!
Haha, yay olive fingers!
I am obsessed with making the polenta crust now! I was surprised by how well it held up on its own!
That such a great idea using polenta as a pizza crust, I’m gonna try this, I love polenta 🙂
Do it!!! It works so well!