Summery Cottage Cheese Pizza

Cottage Cheese Pizza is the summer pie you never knew you needed. With a creamy, tangy cottage cheese and sharp provolone base and a delicate shaved zucchini, sweet corn and cherry tomato topping, this veggie forward pizza is truly a winner. Thank you to AE Dairy for sponsoring this post!

Cottage Cheese Pizza

There are countless avenues for cottage cheese other than simply eating it from the container (as we do in my house) but putting in on your pizza is truly next level. The taste and texture mimic one of my favorite white pizzas made with a ricotta base but by swapping out cottage cheese we get the benefit of added protein (15 grams per slice!) and a heck of lot less fat and calories.

Conveniently our favorite dairy brand – AE dairy – has an arsenal of cottage cheese varieties to choose from and using their Salt and Pepper flavor gives this summery pizza a cacio e pepe vibe I’m obsessed with. In addition to the creamy, tangy cottage base we top the pizza with melty provolone cheese, fresh zucchini, corn and bright cherry tomatoes. A sprinkling of parmesan cheese and fresh basil finish it off.

Ingredients in Cottage Cheese Pizza

Pizza dough. There is no need to make your own dough here. Summer is all about ease so pick up a pre-made dough at your local pizzeria or grocery store. (And even if you buy one of those pre-cooked packaged crusts you’ll still be winning.)

Cottage Cheese. Let’s talk about Cottage Cheese for a minute. We’re quite loyal to our favorite local brand – AE Dairy because their dairy quality and flavor is unparalleled. They use milk from local farmers tested to make sure it’s the best quality before it even makes it into any of their products. While I love all of their products the cottage cheese is SO good and has been in a staple in my family’s diet for years.

For our Cottage Cheese Pizza you can use any of their cottage cheese varieties, the smaller the curd the more “sauce” like it will be. However, as aforementioned, I wanted to mimic a sort of cacio e pepe flavor so I picked up their Salt and Pepper flavor and man it didn’t disappoint.

Cheese. I personally think tanginess of provolone harmonizes with the tanginess of the cottage cheese really well but mozzarella would also work nicely. We also throw on a little parmesan cheese to finish the pizza off.

Veggies. This is a summer pizza so I lean heavily into what you’ll find at the store these days. Zucchini, corn and cherry tomatoes are my chosen veggies but you can use whatever your favorite summer veggie is.

Let’s make Cottage Cheese Pizza

Preheat the oven. When making pizza at home, it’s incredibly important to preheat your oven. We cook pizza at 550 degrees to get as close to a pizza oven replication as we can. This temperature will produce a pizza slightly charred on the edges but cooked perfectly.

I also believe it’s imperative to use a pizza stone. They are pretty inexpensive and if you make a lot of pizza at home, it’s well worth it to keep one on hand.

Prep the toppings. While the oven preheats, prep the veggies. I use a vegetable peeler to shave the zucchini into long, thin strands. Remove the corn from the cob. Slice the tomatoes in half. Shred the cheese.

Prep the dough. I find the easiest way to get dough into a perfect pizza pie is to stretch it with my hands. Using a rolling pin doesn’t stretch the dough well and it often takes longer to get the dough to where you want it to be. Gently use your knuckles (See our reel!) to stretch the dough into a 12-14-inch circle.

Spread the cheese. Spread the cottage cheese on the dough. Sprinkle with three-quarters of the provolone.

Layer the veggies. Start by layering the zucchini on top of the cheese, sprinkle the corn on top and finally nestle the tomatoes in between everything. Sprinkle with remaining provolone followed by parmesan cheese.

Cook. Slide the pizza on to the pizza stone. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the crust is slightly charred and the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Tips and Tricks for Recipe Success

• If the dough tears while stretching, no biggie! Simply put it back together.
• Build the pizza on a piece of floured parchment paper. You can put the parchment directly on to the pizza stone.
• Use a pizza peel! You can make the pizza on the peel then easily transfer it to the oven.
• Watch the pizza! At 550 degrees, the pizza can easily burn.
• Turn halfway through. This will ensure even cooking.
• If you like a more cohesive sauce, throw the cottage cheese in a mini food processor and blend until smooth.