My husband LOVES making pizza – he grills it in the summer, bakes it in the winter, and comes up with a new flavor combo each time. In this monthly “guest post,” I’m going to sit back, relax, and maybe take the occasional photo while Jeff makes me a pizza and tells you about it. Here he is:
This time of year – NCAA March Madness – always makes me nostalgic for my college days. There is something about the emotions of watching your college play basketball in this crazy one-and-done format. It makes you remember the good times. It makes you remember all of your hijinks and all of your hard work.
One pizza I used to love eating back then actually came from my hometown, so I was able to get it when I went home on breaks to see my parents, do some free laundry, and get some home cooking. It was a combination of crab meat, artichokes, fresh tomatoes, capers, and a white sauce. I knew, in this time of reflection, that I had to make a pizza to pay homage to my hometown delicacy without blatantly ripping it off.
I decided to substitute shrimp for the crab and do a spin on traditional primavera for the #ShrimpShowdown, sponsored by OXO and the NFI Shrimp Council. The shrimp was an easy choice, as the Eastern Shrimp Company sent 5 pounds of beautiful U15 shrimp (approximately 15 shrimp per pound) to my wonderful wife. Lori actually helped me out by using the OXO Good Grips Shrimp Cleaner to peel and devein the shrimp. It made quick work of the task, peeling and deveining the big shrimp in one easy motion.
She then passed the shrimp off to me for a quick saute. I cooked them with butter and garlic, and squeezed in some lemon juice using our wooden lemon reamer. The shrimp cooked for about 8 minutes, and needed just a few turns with a trusty pair of tongs.
The essence of pasta primavera is fresh veggies – usually bell pepper, onions, tomatoes, and carrots. You’ll see all of those in this recipe. The pizza actually bakes while you are cooking the shrimp, and then you just pull the pizza out of the oven, top it with the garlicky, lemony shrimp and enjoy!
Want to win your own set of OXO shrimp tools and a $100 Visa Gift Card from the NFI Shrimp Council? Enter the giveaway below the recipe for your chance to win!
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Press pizza dough into large circle on pizza stone or pan (spray with cooking spray or sprinkle with cornmeal first if you’re worried about dough sticking). Bake 10 minutes or until light golden brown and almost cooked through.
In large skillet, heat butter over medium heat. Add garlic, lemon juice and shrimp; cook 8 to 10 minutes or until shrimp turn opaque throughout and internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F, turning occasionally.
Meanwhile, spread pizza crust with Alfredo sauce and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Arrange tomatoes, green pepper, onion and carrots over cheese. Return to oven for 8 minutes.
Remove pizza from oven and top with shrimp. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, parsley and red pepper flakes, if desired. Cut and serve immediately.
Making one of my recipes? Please let me know by sharing a photo on my Facebook page, or uploading to Instagram or Twitter with the tag #foxeslovelemons. It would make my day!
[The giveaway has ended.]
For more pizza creations by Jeff, check out our pizza archive!
Disclosure: We received a set of shrimp tools from OXO and 5 pounds of shrimp from the Eastern Fish Company at no charge. We were not compensated for writing this post, and all opinions are our own.
I know right?! It smelled so good when I was sauteing the shrimp . . . I almost just skipped the pizza and mowed the shrimp down. The wait was worth it though.
Ermagawd, I LOOOOOOVE white sauce pizzas! They’re the best! And covered in shrimp? Even bettaaaaaah. Fabulous job, Jeff. These photos are gorgeous and that pizza looks amazing!
Have you seen some of my other options?
Home Alone Filthy Animal Pizza
Thai Tofu Pizza
Cheeseburger Pizza
I try to make sure all pizza is fun. The stranger the toppings, the better.
We do pizza every weekend, so I’m always on the lookout for new ideas. Sort of crazy that I’ve never made one with shrimp, considering how much (most of) my family loves them. Looks great, Lori & hubby!
Hi, I’m Lori! I’m a Detroit-area culinary school graduate, food photographer, recipe developer and english muffin fanatic. This blog is where I post simple, yet special, original recipes for the "home chef" in all of us.
Mmmm…great job Lori’s husband! 😉 This looks and sounds like I need it in front of me today. YUM.
Thanks Heather! I got the same reaction from Lori while I was making the pizza.
I could eat that entire pizza! Looks delish!
Well, the looking delicious is all Lori. I pretend to be able to cook, but I don’t do photo styling. Haha.
Veggies and shrimp??? LOVE, love this pizza! (and that your hubby is a great cook, too!)
I know right?! It smelled so good when I was sauteing the shrimp . . . I almost just skipped the pizza and mowed the shrimp down. The wait was worth it though.
Ermagawd, I LOOOOOOVE white sauce pizzas! They’re the best! And covered in shrimp? Even bettaaaaaah. Fabulous job, Jeff. These photos are gorgeous and that pizza looks amazing!
Nancy, thanks so much. I love white pizzas as well – usually with veggies or seafood. Putting the two together . . . Now there’s the ticket.
I’ve never had shrimp on pizza before! Great idea!
With the OXO shrimp cleaning too, I am half tempted to put shrimp on everything . . .
“Jeff Makes Pizza” is pretty much the best guest blogger series ever. And this pizza is especially brilliant!
Why thank you sooooo much! That is some very high praise.
See this is fun pizza I’d eat! Not boring pepperoni pizza where I end up picking off the cheese and pepperoni halfway through. Can’t wait to try this.
Have you seen some of my other options?
Home Alone Filthy Animal Pizza
Thai Tofu Pizza
Cheeseburger Pizza
I try to make sure all pizza is fun. The stranger the toppings, the better.
Yum! This looks delicious, great recipe 🙂 Pinning!
So glad you find it delicious. Hope your Pinterest friends feel to same way.
We do pizza every weekend, so I’m always on the lookout for new ideas. Sort of crazy that I’ve never made one with shrimp, considering how much (most of) my family loves them. Looks great, Lori & hubby!
I think you can put anything on a pizza . . . I think I’ll definitely try new proteins more often – squid, sweetbreads, etc.