Italian Pesto Pizzas Recipes

ITALIAN PESTO PIZZAS

Steps:

• Place pita breads on an ungreased baking sheet; spread with pesto. Layer with mozzarella cheese, spinach, mushrooms, yellow pepper, tomato, onion, Parmesan cheese, olives if desired and pepper flakes., Bake at 425° for 10-12 minutes or until cheese is melted. Top pizzas with basil.

PESTO PIZZA RECIPE

Steps:

• Follow the Best Pizza Dough recipe to prepare the dough. (This takes about 15 minutes to make and 45 minutes to rest.)
• Place your pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 500°F. Slice the tomato.
• When the oven is ready, dust a pizza peel with cornmeal or semolina flour. (If you don't have a pizza peel, you can use a rimless baking sheet or the back of a rimmed baking sheet. But a pizza peel is well worth the investment!) Stretch the dough into a circle; see How to Stretch Pizza Dough for instructions. Then gently place the dough onto the pizza peel.
• Quickly assemble the pizza. Spread the pesto over the dough, sprinkle on as much cheese as you like, add the tomato slices, and top with some fresh grated Parmesan and a pinch of salt.
• Use the pizza peel to carefully transfer the pizza onto the preheated pizza stone.
• Bake the pizza until the cheese and crust are nicely browned, about 5 to 7 minutes in the oven (or 1 minute in a pizza oven). Try to let the pizza cool before you eat it, so you don't burn off all your taste buds - this is always the hardest part!

PESTO PIZZA WITH FRESH TOMATOES & MOZZARELLA

Steps:

• 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.

PESTO SAUCE RECIPE

Steps:

• 01 - Put all ingredients into a food processor ( or smash everything by hand ) until smooth. 02 - Pour the Pesto into a jar and cover with a little Olive Oil, then seal and store in the fridge. It will keep in a fridge for up to two weeks.

ITALIAN PESTO PIZZA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Roll out pizza dough as directed on package. Spread the pesto evenly on the crust. Arrange mozzarella slices over the pesto; scatter prosciutto over the mozzarella. Sprinkle pizza with the fresh parsley, fresh basil, and grated Parmesan.
• Bake in preheated oven, until crust is browned and pizza is hot and bubbly, about 10 minutes.

PESTO PIZZA PILLOWS

Steps:

• Heat about 2 inches of vegetable oil in a large pot or Dutch oven to 365 degrees F.
• Lay out the wonton wrappers on your work surface. Brush each entire wrapper with egg wash. Top each with a heaping tablespoon of mozzarella, a crumble of sausage, 1/2 teaspoon pesto and 1/2 teaspoon Parmesan, leaving space around the edges. Fold the corners of each wrapper into the center to make a square. Press to seal.
• Fry the sealed pockets in 2 batches, turning occasionally, until crisp and golden brown all over, 3 to 4 minutes per batch. Season lightly with salt and sprinkle with Parmesan while still hot. Serve hot, with marinara for dipping.

PESTO CHICKEN PIZZA

Steps:

• For the pizza dough: Place the warm water in a small bowl and stir in the yeast and sugar until dissolved. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and set aside until the liquid is foamy (about 10 minutes).
• In a large bowl, combine 3 cups flour and 1 teaspoon salt. Make a well in the center of the flour and add the yeast mixture and oil. With a wooden spoon, beat the ingredients together to form a soft, sticky mass.
• Turn the dough onto a well-floured work surface. With floured hands, knead the dough, adding more flour, a little at a time, until smooth and elastic, 8 to 12 minutes. Form the dough into a ball.
• Place the dough in a large bowl that has been brushed with oil. Turn the dough to coat all sides with oil. Cover with wax paper and a clean towel, and place in a warm draft free place. Let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• With a floured fist, punch down the dough. Cover again and allow the dough to rise another 40 minutes.
• The dough is now ready to be rolled out for a pizza.
• For the pesto pizza: Place the rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place the rolled-out pizza dough onto a 16-inch oiled pizza pan or screen.
• Place the pesto onto the pizza dough and spread it around the surface of the pizza. Leave about a 1/2-inch border on the outside of dough.
• Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the pizza. Place the chopped chicken on top of the cheese.
• Bake 25 to 30 minutes. Check it occasionally to ensure it doesn't burn.
• Remove the cooked pizza from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes (if you can wait that long). Sprinkle the basil on top of pizza, then cut and enjoy!

PESTO PIZZA

Steps:

• In a blender, combine oil and garlic; cover and process until smooth. Add basil and blend thoroughly. Spread over crust. Sprinkle with toppings. Bake at 425° for 10 minutes.

Steps:

• Pour the ingredients into the machine and set the program for fresh dough, number 13 on the Kenwood. NB: when using the bread machine the ingredients should be placed in the exact order as listed above, liquids first.
• For best result, let the dough rest in the fridge overnight, well floured and wrapped in a plastic bag, otherwise, it will crawl all over the fridge.
• Add all the ingredients for the pesto in a blender.
• The pesto should be mixed gradually with pulsing movements. If mixed continuously the heat created by the blades will oxidize the basil turning the pesto into a dark colour.
• Once the dough is ready, cut it into 4 equal sizes and lay them down on a well-floured baking sheet.
• When the dough is rolled flat, it needs to rest for at least 10 minutes before it rises. In the meantime, put the pizza stone in the cold oven and set the oven at 430 F - 220 C.
• Once the oven reaches the temperature of 430 F -220C, take the pizza stone out of the oven and lay the dough on top.
• Top it with the stracchino cheese
• Drizzle with the pesto
• Cook it in the hot oven for 10 minutes

PESTO PIZZA WITH FRESH TOMATOES & MOZZARELLA

Steps:

• Make homemade Pizza Dough as per instructions, let dough** rest for approximately 15-20 minutes before rolling
• Pre heat oven to 425 F (220 C).
• Shape the dough into a lightly greased pizza or cookie sheet, spread the Arugula Pesto or Basil Pesto (if you prefer) on top, then top with shredded mozzarella and sliced tomatoes. Drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt. Bake for approximately 10-12 minutes or until crust is baked and cheese is melted. Let sit 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
• **Whether store bought or homemade pizza dough should rest for approximately 20 minutes before shaping into a round or oval shape. It keeps the dough from springing back when shaping.

SAUSAGE PESTO PIZZA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
• If using a pre-baked pizza crust, follow the instructions on the package for a pre-baked crust. If using a store bought pizza dough, roll the dough out into a 10 inch round. Place the dough onto a pizza stone and prick a few times around with a fork. Brush a light layer of olive oil on the dough and bake for 5 minutes.
• Remove the pizza from the oven and top with a layer of sauce. Don't add too much sauce because your pizza will be soggy after it bakes, we're looking for a nice, crispy crust. Add the sausage crumbles to the pizza, followed by several dollops of the basil pesto. Place the fresh mozzarella on the pizza, scattered so that it's no overlapping.
• Bake the pizza for 12-14 minutes until the cheese is melted and the crust is nice and brown. remove the pizza from the oven and drizzle with the basil infused oil, then top with parmesan cheese and fresh strips of basil.
• Cut into slices and serve immediately.

ITALIAN BREAD CREAMY PESTO PEPPERONI PIZZA

Steps:

• Place one oven rack in upper-third of the oven, and the second oven rack on the lower third.
• Heat oven to 450°F (regular or convection air-bake).
• Half each loaf lengthwise, then crosswise to make 8 pizza crusts.
• In a bowl combine ricotta, pesto, Parmesan, salt and pepper.
• Spread on the bread crusts.
• Sprinkle the olives on top of the ricotta.
• Top with pepperoni slices.
• Top with shredded mozzarella cheese.
• Place 4 pizzas on one baking sheet and the other 4 on another baking sheet.
• Place on sheet on one rack and the other on the other rack.
• Bake for about 10-12 minutes (the cheese should be well melted).
• Cool for about 5 minutes.

CHICKEN PESTO PIZZA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Lightly coat a baking sheet or pizza pan with olive oil. Working on a surface that has been sprinkled with cornmeal, roll out the pizza into a 12-inch-diameter round. Transfer to prepared baking sheet or pizza pan. Using a small ladle, spread pesto over the surface of the dough in an even layer, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Top with mozzarella, dollops of ricotta, chicken and tomatoes. Place into oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheeses have melted. Serve immediately.

PESTO PIZZA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Spread pesto on pizza crust. Top with tomatoes, bell peppers, olives, red onions, artichoke hearts and feta cheese.
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and browned.