Pesto Pizza
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Loaded with basil pesto, fresh tomatoes and mozzarella, pesto pizza is the ultimate summer pizza.
For me, a good pesto pizza should have bold, front-and-center pesto flavor—I don’t want just a subtle hint of basil, garlic, Parmesan, and olive oil. I want those flavors to really stand out. The trick is to spread a generous layer of pesto before baking and top it with even more when the pizza comes out of the oven. This pesto pizza not only packed with flavor, but also looks gorgeous and feels a bit more special than your typical pizza pie.
I’ve included a recipe for homemade pizza dough, but don’t feel pressured—store-bought works just as well for a weeknight dinner. Same goes for the pesto sauce: homemade is great, but if you’re short on time, store-bought pesto (I love Mama’s pesto from Whole Foods) works perfectly too.
Table of Contents
What You’ll Need To Make Pesto Pizza
For The Pizza Dough
For the Toppings
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Make the Dough
In a mixer fitted with the dough hook (or a large bowl if you’d like to make it by hand), combine the flour, yeast, salt, olive oil, and water.
Mix until the dough comes together.
Increase the speed and knead for about 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Flour your hands if necessary, and transfer the dough to a lightly oiled large bowl.
Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 1-1/2 hours.
When the dough has risen, punch it down.
Place the dough on a lightly floured surface.
Cut it in half and roll each part into a ball.
Cover the dough balls with a damp kitchen towel and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes — the dough will rise a bit.
Lightly dust a work surface with flour, and then pat and stretch the rested dough into two 12×8-inch rectangles. If the dough is sticky, dust it lightly with flour.
Place the two pizza doughs side-by-side on the prepared baking sheet. Then press the dough out again so that it almost touches the edges of the pan.
Step 2: Assemble and Bake the Pizzas
Cut the tomatoes crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices and place on a paper towel-lined plate or cutting board to drain the juices.
Spread 1/3 cup of the pesto evenly over the pizzas, leaving a 1-inch border.
Bake the pizzas on the bottom rack for 4 minutes. (I do this so the crust has time to crisp up; if you add the cheese from the get-go, it gets too brown before the crust is fully cooked.)
Remove the pan from the oven; and then top the pizzas with the mozzarella cheese, followed by the tomato slices, Parmigiano-Reggiano, salt and pepper.
Place the pizzas back in the oven and bake until the crust is crisp and golden, 6 to 8 minutes more.
Transfer the pizzas to a cutting board and drizzle with the with remaining pesto.
Sprinkle with fresh basil, then cut into slices and serve. Enjoy!
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Pesto Pizza with Fresh Tomatoes & Mozzarella
Loaded with basil pesto, fresh tomatoes and mozzarella, pesto pizza is the ultimate summer pizza.
Ingredients
For the Pizza Dough
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2¼ teaspoons (1 packet) instant/rapid-rise yeast (see note)
- 1¾ teaspoons salt
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 teaspoons cornmeal, for dusting the pan
For the Topping
- ½ cup good quality store-bought or homemade pesto, divided
- 8 ounces whole milk mozzarella cheese (not Buffalo mozzarella), thinly sliced or grated
- 2 vine-ripened tomatoes
- ¼ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup gently packed fresh basil leaves, torn
Instructions
- Combine the flour, olive oil, yeast, salt and water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix on low speed until the dough comes together. Increase the speed to medium-low and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled large bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- When the dough has risen, punch it down and place it on a lightly floured surface. Cut in half and roll each part into a ball. Cover the dough balls with a damp kitchen towel and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes (the dough will rise a bit).
- Meanwhile, set an oven rack in the bottom position and preheat the oven to 500°F. Sprinkle the cornmeal on an 18x13-inch baking sheet; set aside. Cut the tomatoes crosswise into ⅛-inch-thick slices and place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain the juices.
- Lightly dust a work surface with flour, and then press and stretch the rested dough into two 12x8-inch rectangles. If the dough is sticky, dust it lightly with flour. Place the two pizza doughs side-by-side on the cornmeal-dusted baking sheet. Press the dough out again so that it almost touches the edges of the pan.
- Spread ⅓ cup of the pesto evenly over the pizzas (2½ tablespoons each), leaving a 1-inch border. Bake on the bottom rack for 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven; and then top the pizzas with the mozzarella cheese, followed by the tomato slices and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Season each pizza with an ⅛-teaspoon salt and a few grinds fresh black pepper. Place the pizzas back in the oven and bake until the crust is crisp and golden, 6 to 8 minutes more. Transfer the pizzas to a cutting board. Drizzle the remaining pesto over the pizzas and sprinkle with the fresh basil. Cut into slices and serve immediately.
- Note: Active dry yeast may be used instead of instant/rapid-rise yeast, however, the dough will take longer to rise. To give active dry yeast a boost, you can dissolve it in the warm water and let it sit until frothy, about 10 minutes. After that, add it to the flour, olive oil, and salt, and proceed with the recipe.
- Make Ahead Instructions: Once the dough has completed it's initial rise, and you've cut it in half to form two balls, lightly coat each dough ball with olive oil. Place the dough ball(s) into a freezer bag and seal shut, squeezing out all the air. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 days. When ready to use, let the dough sit out on the countertop for 30 minutes to warm up before stretching.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The dough can be frozen for up to 3 months. When ready to use, defrost in the refrigerator overnight (or for at least 12 hours), and then let it warm up on the countertop for about 30 minutes before stretching.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Calories: 950
- Fat: 57g
- Saturated fat: 10g
- Carbohydrates: 80g
- Sugar: 3g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 32g
- Sodium: 1663mg
- Cholesterol: 60mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Hi Jenn, When you state knead the dough, is this done by the stand mixer or by hand? Thanks Al
Hi Al, I use a mixer, but you can do it by hand as well.
Do you think I could use the topping in naan bread instead of the dough in the recipe?
If I’m understanding your question, you just want to putting the topping on naan, correct? If so, yes, I think that should work!
Made this the other night. Delicious toppings. I traded in 1/4 C cornmeal and reduced the flour by the same. To me this seems more like a pizza dough. I also grilled it rather than doing it in the oven. I like to grill both sides: brush one side with olive oil and then lay oil-side down on the grill for about 1 minute. Flip at first sign of browning and turndown heat, add toppings and wait till bottom is well browned and toppings are cooked.
Hi Jenn, this pizza was a hit at home! It smelled and tasted so good! I just had a quick question, is pizza dough tougher than bread dough? I was surprised to find it tougher when I was working on it.
Glad everyone liked the pizza! Yes, the pizza dough is definitely a bit tougher and more elastic than regular bread dough.
This pizza dough is amazing! Be sure to leave time for it to “rise” and “rest”…. Well worth the wait. I will never need another dough recipe. I make this almost every week;-)
My first time making pizza, and it was a success thanks to your recipe ! Thank you!
I have made this a few times now, each time is great. Sifting the flour first made it even better!
This is by far the best pizza that I ever made! Thank you!
Is the nutritional info per 1 (of the 2) pizzas? Thank you
Hi Paige, the recipe makes a total of 4 servings, so the nutritional info is for half of a pizza. Hope you enjoy!
Love this!! I made the dough in my breadmaker and it worked out great! I baked it on a pre-heated pizza stone on the lowest rack level ( great tip on oven placement! ). Also tried the mozzarella you used, and it really turned out perfect!
As always, a big hit Jenn!