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 leaves, finely grated Parmesan cheese, 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: Preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C) placing a rack in the upper third. If using a pizza stone, place it in the oven on the appropriate rack and preheat as per manufacturer’s instructions.
- Prepare Dough: Roll out the pizza dough as thinly as possible on a clean surface. Do not brush the edges with oil since the pesto contains enough oil for flavor and moisture.
- Make Pesto: In a cleaned food processor, combine basil (reserving some small leaves for garnish), nuts, Parmesan, lemon juice, garlic, and salt. With the processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the mixture is well blended, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.
- Assemble Pizza: Spread half the pesto evenly over the rolled-out dough, leaving about 1 inch around the edges clear. Drain and pat dry the fresh mozzarella; if using large balls, tear into 1-inch pieces. Distribute half of the mozzarella and quartered cherry tomatoes evenly over the pesto.
- Bake Pizza: Transfer the assembled pizza on parchment paper onto a baking sheet and place it in the oven. Bake until the crust is golden and cheese bubbles, about 8 to 12 minutes (or as few as 5 minutes with a pizza stone).
- Repeat & Garnish: Repeat the assembly and baking process with the remaining dough and toppings. Once baked, top each pizza with reserved basil leaves, a light sprinkle of Parmesan, and red pepper flakes if desired.
- Serve: Slice the pizzas and serve immediately while hot and aromatic.
Notes
- Using a pizza stone can reduce baking time significantly and produce a crispier crust.
- Drying the mozzarella before topping prevents a soggy pizza crust.
- Reserve some smaller basil leaves for an attractive garnish and fresh burst of flavor.
- Feel free to substitute nuts in the pesto with your favorite, but pine nuts maintain the classic pesto flavor.
- Adjust red pepper flakes to taste for desired spiciness.
- This recipe works well with store-bought dough for convenience.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Pizza
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
