Description
This vibrant Pesto Pizza recipe combines a crispy whole wheat pizza crust with a fresh homemade basil pesto, topped with creamy mozzarella and juicy cherry tomatoes. Ready in just 30 minutes, it’s a flavorful and easy-to-make dish perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or casual entertaining.
Ingredients
Pizza Dough
- 1 batch Easiest Whole Wheat Pizza Dough or 1 pound store-bought pizza dough
Toppings
- 12 ounces ciliegine mini fresh mozzarella balls or large fresh mozzarella balls or shredded part-skim mozzarella
- 10 cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered lengthwise
- Optional garnishes: Reserved fresh basil, finely grated Parmesan, or red pepper flakes
Pesto
- 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves (about 3 ounces or 2 large bunches)
- ⅓ cup raw pine nuts, almonds, walnuts, pecans, or pepitas
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- ¾ teaspoon fine salt
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Dough. Preheat your oven to 500°F placing a rack in the upper third of the oven. If using a pizza stone, place it on the rack according to the manufacturer’s directions. Roll out the pizza dough as thinly as possible on a work surface. Avoid brushing edges with oil because the pesto contains enough oil to keep the crust moist.
- Make the Pesto. Clean your food processor bowl and add basil leaves (reserving a few smaller leaves for garnish), nuts, grated Parmesan, lemon juice, garlic, and salt. With the processor running, slowly drizzle in the extra-virgin olive oil until the pesto reaches a smooth, well-blended consistency. Pause to scrape down the sides as needed.
- Assemble the Pizza. Spread half the pesto evenly over the rolled-out dough on a piece of parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges. Drain and dry the mozzarella well—if using larger balls, tear into 1-inch pieces. Scatter half the mozzarella and the quartered tomatoes over the pesto.
- Bake the Pizza. Using the parchment paper, transfer the pizza onto a baking sheet or directly onto a pizza stone. Bake in the oven for 8 to 12 minutes, until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbling. If using a pizza stone, baking may take as little as 5 minutes.
- Repeat and Garnish. Repeat the topping and baking process with the second pizza. Once baked, top each pizza with reserved fresh basil leaves and a light sprinkle of grated Parmesan and red pepper flakes if desired. Slice and serve immediately.
Notes
- For a crisper crust, use a pizza stone heated in the oven before baking.
- Reserve some basil leaves to keep the bright green appearance and fresh flavor as garnish.
- Drying the mozzarella well prevents watery pizza and soggy crust.
- You can substitute pine nuts with other nuts like walnuts or almonds based on preference or availability.
- Adjust baking time based on oven and thickness of the dough; watch for bubbling cheese and golden crust as indicators.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
