Description
The combination of fresh basil pesto, gooey mozzarella, and tomato is tough to beat in this easy pesto pizza. Pro tip: try it with our homemade crust!
Ingredients
Scale
For The Pesto Pizza
- 1/2 batch gluten-free pizza dough*
- 1/2-1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1/3-1/2 cup pesto
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1-2 fresh tomato, thinly sliced OR roasted tomatoes
- Flaky sea salt & black pepper
- Optional Extras: parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, fresh basil
For Homemade Pesto:
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves
- 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts or nuts*
- 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- pinch fresh black pepper
- 1/2 cup olive oil
Instructions
- Make The Pesto. In a food processor, combine basil leaves, pine nuts, parmesan cheese, lemon juice, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of black pepper. Pulse JUST until the basil is roughly chopped and the ingredients are pretty evenly combined. (You don’t want it fully pureed here, since we’re not done mixing!) Gradually pour in the olive oil, pulsing to incorporate it until the basil is very finely chopped and the mixture looks cohesive and evenly mixed. Taste and add more lemon juice, salt, or pepper, if desired.
- Preheat & Prep. To start, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a pizza pan or sheet pan with parchment paper, and drizzle with 1/2 Tablespoon olive oil.
- Par-Bake Pizza Crust. Pat the pizza dough out into a 12-inch circle. Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes. (If using pre-made crust, you can skip this step.)
- Spread With Sauce. Carefully, spread 1/3-1/2 cup pesto onto the pre-baked crust, leaving a small border around the edge.
- Add Toppings. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese. Add tomato slices, and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese.
- Bake Pizza in preheated oven for 12-14 minutes, or until the crust is just golden brown and the cheese is melted and bubbling.
- Garnish. If desired, brush the freshly baked crust with olive oil. Sprinkle a pinch of coarse salt, and a little black pepper on top of the pizza. Feel free to add additional garnish, such as parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, or fresh basil, to taste.
- Serve & Store. Cut pizza into 8 equal pieces and enjoy warm. Store leftover pizza in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 2 days.
Notes
- Gluten-Free Pizza Dough. We highly recommend our gluten-free pizza dough for taste and texture. If you’re using a store-bought gluten-free pizza crust, you can skip the par-baking step, unless it’s recommended on your crust packaging. Not gluten-free? Feel free to use regular pizza dough. .
- Can I Use Another Gluten-Free Crust? Yes. You can use store-bought gluten-free pizza dough (like Trader Joe’s or Manini’s), or you can use a pre-made gluten-free pizza crust. I do NOT recommend cauliflower crust for this recipe, since the toppings are a bit more substantial and heavy. I find that cauliflower crust can’t stand up to the toppings well.
- Extra Toppings To Try. Feel free to add extras, like Canadian bacon, ham or prosciutto or some chicken.
- Pesto. This recipe will make more pesto you need, so you can freeze the rest for later in a jar topped with a little drizzle of olive oil. Or, make two pizzas! (You *can* cut the pesto recipe in half, I just find it’s tricky to make a batch that small in a regular-size food processor.)
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American