Pesto Pizza

We love pesto in this house. It is so versatile! You can throw it in some pasta, sauteed with some chicken, in a wrap filled with veggies, or over some pizza.

This is such a simple dinner, especially with some pre-made pizza dough.

By all means, get all domestic and make your own dough, but Trader Joe's makes some excellent dough that saves me a couple hours. Love me some Trader Joe's.

Now for the pesto, you can certainly make your own (obviously preferred), but this time I had some leftover jarred pesto that I decided to use up. The most important thing with pesto on pizza is the oil. If it's premade, you want to remove as much of the oil that sits on top in the jar that you can. So don't shake or mix it up before you get rid of it! If you don't, the oil can make the dough soft and greasy or it seeps out and sits on top of the pizza. Neither option appetizing.

If you make it yourself, decrease the oil you add in significantly to prevent the problem from happening. Also, you don't want to add a ton of cheese. Yes, cheesiness is the mantra of a great pizza, but it usually turns into a soggy mess. So put a little less than you think you want. Trust me.

I've made this pizza before and sprinkled some cooked chicken marinated in lemon juice and basil, but opted out this time. If you like olives, that would also be an excellent addition! Make it your own.

Pesto Pizza

pizza dough (try this recipe)

cornmeal

flour

1/2 c pesto, as much oil removed as possible

mozzarella cheese, freshly shredded

crumbled feta cheese

vine-ripened tomatoes

sliced red onions

pine nuts (I buy these in small amounts from the bulk bins, SO much cheaper than pre-packaged)

olive oil

grated parmesan cheese

garlic powder

coarse salt

Follow the directions for your pizza dough, preheat your oven (mine was 450 degrees).

If you have a pizza stone, preheat that as well. I like a crispy crust on my pizza, so I always pre-bake my crust for a little bit until it's almost set. If you put the sauce (especially red sauce) and cheese and toppings on unbaked dough, it can come out pretty gooey in the middle.

Roll out your dough on the counter sprinkled with cornmeal and flour. Sprinkle pizza stone or pan with more cornmeal and flour to prevent sticking and get that nice crispy crust, then place the crust on the pan. A trick I use is also great for pie crusts. Roll the dough so it's wrapped over a rolling pin, and transfer it over to the pan hanging over the rolling pin. I brush the crust perimeter with a little olive oil, parmesan, garlic powder, and coarse salt. Bake 5-8 minutes, or until it's almost set.

While it's baking, toast your pine nuts in a frying pan on low heat until fragrant and golden, stirring frequently. Mmmm, toasty.

Take crust out of the oven.

Spread pesto on crust, then cheeses, and the rest of your toppings.

 Slide the pizza back in the oven for another 10 minutes or so, until the cheese is all melty, the veggies are nice and roasted, and the crust lightly browned.

A little Greek party in your mouth.

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