Pesto Heirloom Tomato Pizza Recipes

HEIRLOOM TOMATO PIZZA WITH PESTO SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven or grill to 450 degrees F.
• Stretch and shape pizza dough to desired size.
• Evenly spread homemade basil pesto over top of dough.
• Arrange heirloom tomato slices over top of pesto layer.
• Dot pizza with cigiline mozzarella
• Sprinkle top of pizza with shredded mozzarella cheese.
• Slide pizza over top of pizza stone in oven or grill using a pizza peel.
• Bake for 20-30 minutes, until cheese has melted and crust has browned on bottom.

HEIRLOOM TOMATO PESTO PAN PIZZA

Steps:

• If using store-bought dough, allow it to come fully to room temperature. If using dough kit, prepare dough according to package directions.
• Once dough is ready, preheat oven to the highest temperature it can go. For me it was 525°F.
• In a small blender, pulse all pesto ingredients until nearly smooth. Set aside.
• Grease a large baking sheet, or sprinkle with semolina flour if you have some in your pantry. On a large work surface, roll out pizza dough to the size of your baking sheet.
• Place dough in baking sheet. It should fit snugly inside.
• Brush the edges of the dough with olive oil. Pour pesto onto dough, spreading it evenly with the back of a large spoon.
• Place sliced mozzarella on top of pesto, spacing it evenly around the pizza. Top everything with tomato slices, then sprinkle with red pepper flakes.
• Bake pizza for 10-15 minutes, depending on the strength of your oven. It is done when the dough is golden brown and everything bubbling and deliciously melty.
• Grate some extra parm on top. Cut pizza into slices. Serve immediately.

PESTO-HEIRLOOM TOMATO PIZZA

Steps:

• Combine the first five ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the mixture is evenly combined yet still coarse in texture. You may need to add the spinach in batches if your processor has a small or medium-size container.
• Stop the machine and season the mixture gently with salt and pepper; taste to see if you'd like to add more lemon juice, then pulse a few times to mix.
• Bake pizza dough rounds in a preheated 425°F oven for 15 minutes, until crust is golden.
• Spread pizza crust with pesto, then load up with sliced heirloom tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and top with plenty of thinly sliced basil leaves. Some Vegan Parmesan-style cheese and fresh oregano leaves would add a nice touch, too. This can be served at room temperature.