Vegan White Sauce Naan Pizzas

I’d like to think I’ve come a long way in the kitchen since graduating college. I no longer live on pasta and cereal (most weeks, anyway!) And I like to experiment often, making dishes from scratch, altering them so they’re vegan-friendly, and so on.

However, there are a few old, very simple staples that I find myself craving from time to time, many of which seem long-forgotten and we’ll go months and years without eating, until I’m reminded of it somehow.

Take, for example, the “white sauce pizza” specialty I frequently made for Jeremy and I when we first started dating. I seriously thought it was the fanciest concoction ever, and was always so impressed with myself when I’d throw it together. It was always my go-to for guests, too.

It came up the other day in conversation, and we both immediately got a craving for it that would not go away.

Back in the day, all I did was purchase a pre-made pizza crust, a jar of Alfredo sauce, a bag of mozzarella cheese, some spinach and asparagus, and throw it all together. Doing it this way is still totally fine (and so quick and easy!) But this time around, I wanted to make the extra effort to take it up a notch, and also ensure it was vegan-friendly.

It’s still simple and quick, and it tastes even better than I remember. Added bonus: the Alfredo sauce from Vegan Heaven is incredible and there will be plenty extra to use later on more pizza, pasta, or however you fancy. I altered it slightly by adding a little less almond milk so it was a bit less runny as a pizza topping!

Vegan White Sauce Naan Pizzas

INGREDIENTS

For the base & toppings:

Vegan naan bread (buy it at the store or make your own)
One bunch asparagus (I used about six stalks for three pizzas)
One bunch spinach
Vegan mozzarella (I used Daiya’s Cutting Board Collection)
Vegan parmesan (I used Follow Your Heart shredded style)
Pepper, dried parsley and/or oregano, to taste

For the white sauce via Vegan Heaven:

2 cups chopped cauliflower
1/2 cup cashews
1 teaspoon lemon juice
a pinch of nutmeg
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 1/2 – 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
Minced garlic, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

Make the white sauce & cook the toppings:

Place the chopped cauliflower in a sauce pan together with the cashews, garlic, and almond milk. Add the nutritional yeast. Stir until well combined.
Cover with a lid and cook for 20 minutes. There won’t be much liquid left when ready.
While sauce is simmering, cook the asparagus and spinach in a drizzle of olive oil in a pan set over medium heat until softened. Set aside.
Once sauce is done cooking, transfer everything into a high speed blender. Add the lemon juice, a pinch of nutmeg, apple cider vinegar, and salt and pepper. If the sauce is too thick to blend properly, add in a tablespoon of milk at a time until easily blended.
Process until smooth, about 30-60 seconds.

Assemble the pizzas:

Set your broiler to the Low setting, or pre-heat oven to 400˚F.
Place the naan bread on a baking sheet or pizza pan.
Top with desired amount of white sauce and sprinkle with desired seasonings (I used a bit of black pepper, oregano, and parsley.)
Pile on the asparagus and spinach, then sprinkle on the mozzarella and finish with parmesan.

Broil or bake:

I used the broil setting on my oven, set to low, and placed the pizzas on the top rack for about 8 minutes (just keep an eye on them, removing once bread has begun to brown and toppings are melted.)
Alternatively, you could bake these at 400˚F for about 10-12 minutes, until toppings have melted.

That’s it! Let them cool off a little, slice, and enjoy!

These can be refrigerated for a day or two and reheated in the oven. The leftover white sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.