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The perfect farewell to summer! This pesto pizza recipe will use up all those ripe tomatoes and overgrown basil from the garden! It comes together in just minutes with store-bought pizza dough or my favorite no knead dough recipe.
Instructions
Gently press dough into a circle and slap it back and forth between your hands to create a 12-14 inch crust.
Transfer to a pizza pan (I HIGHLY recommend this one). Poke crust all over with a fork.
Brush entire crust with olive oil.
Par-bake crust for 3-5 minutes. See how nice and golden brown this pan helps the crust get?! If there is one pan you invest it - let it be this one! Also - it's actually super inexpensive so it's worth every penny!!
While the crust is par-baking, throw together my super easy basil pesto.
Remove from oven and spread pesto across crust, leaving about an inch around the perimeter.
Sprinkle mozzarella cheese evenly across the pizza.
Place tomatoes on top of the cheese. Sprinkle oregano across the pizza as well as a large pinch of Kosher salt. Brush crust with more olive oil.
Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the crust is dark golden brown.
You'll Love This
- It's the perfect way to showcase all those fresh veggies and herbs from the garden! If you've got an abundance of ripe tomatoes and bushes of basil in the garden, this pizza is a MUST. It's the perfect way to use up the last of the late summer harvest (or welcome a new season of warmth)!
- It's a hearty vegetarian dinner that will even please the meat eaters in your life! My carnivorous, meat loving husband gave this pizza his stamp of approval saying it was "the best pizza you've ever made". So I'm pretty confident that you can serve this at your next pizza night or tailgate party and everyone is going to LOVE it.
- It's a welcomed reprieve from the classic pepperoni pizza you're always making on Friday night! Switch things up a bit and give the pepperoni a rest next week! The classic toppings have had their day in the sun - let's give the tomatoes and basil some time to shine!
Tips
- Don't skip the par-baking! It may seem like an unnecessary extra step, but you have to partially bake the crust in order to get that perfectly crisp, golden brown crust. Trust me, it's worth the extra 3 minutes!
- For a really extra crispy crust make sure you brush it with oil before par-baking and then also brush the edges before the final bake. This will give the crust the most buttery, rich flavor and just the right amount of crunch!
- Less is more when it comes to toppings. When making a 12 inch pie, make sure you stick to about a ½ cup of sauce and 1 cup of cheese plus a handful of veggies or meats. This will ensure that the crust cooks evenly and thoroughly and you're not left with a soggy mess!
Family Dinner Favorites
- Loaded Baked Potato Pizza
- 30 Minute Baked Ravioli
- One Pan Chicken & Rice Casserole
- 10 Minute Vegetarian Lasagna
- Healthy Slow Cooker Chili
Pesto Pizza Recipe
The perfect farewell to summer! This pesto pizza recipe will use up all those ripe tomatoes and overgrown basil from the garden! It comes together in just minutes with store-bought pizza dough or my favorite no knead dough recipe.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 17 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1 lb. pizza dough (or ½ my no knead pizza dough recipe)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup my easy homemade pesto (store bought works too)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- 1 large tomato, sliced into ¼" thick slices
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- Kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 550 degrees.
- Gently press dough into a circle and slap it back and forth between your hands to create a 12-14 inch crust. Transfer to a pizza pan. Poke crust all over with a fork.
- Brush entire crust with olive oil
- Par-bake crust for 3-5 minutes.
- Remove from oven and spread pesto across crust, leaving about an inch around the perimeter.
- Spread cheese evenly across the pizza.
- Place tomatoes on top of the cheese.
- Sprinkle oregano across the pizza as well as a large pinch of Kosher salt.
- Brush crust with more olive oil.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the crust is dark golden brown.
Notes
Don't skip the par-baking! It may seem like an unnecessary extra step, but you have to partially bake the crust in order to get that perfectly crisp, golden brown crust. Trust me, it's worth the extra 3 minutes!
For a really extra crispy crust make sure you brush it with oil before par-baking and then also brush the edges before the final bake. This will give the crust the most buttery, rich flavor and just the right amount of crunch!
Less is more when it comes to toppings. When making a 12 inch pie, make sure you stick to about a ½ cup of sauce and 1 cup of cheese plus a handful of veggies or meats. This will ensure that the crust cooks evenly and thoroughly and you're not left with a soggy mess!
Keywords: vegetarian pizza, spinach pesto pizza, tomato mozzarella pizza
Kylie
Seriously - you are going to LOVE LOVE LOVE this pizza! Get out of your pizza night rut with this delicious vegetarian option!
★★★★★
Michelle Lien
I made this recipe tonight! Amazing!
I had made your full pizza dough recipe for your cinnamon rolls recipe, which was also awesome. I froze the other half of the dough and used it tonight to make this pizza. I also used your pesto recipe that I had made this fall and froze. I will definitely be making this pizza again! There is just something about a simple, fresh pizza that is so satisfying. The sweetness from the warm tomatoes and the freshness from the pesto tie everything together. The only issue I had was my pan. I used a pizza stone, but I think the results would be better on the pan you suggest, which I do have. The crust just stuck and didn't get as crispy as I would like. Next time I'm going to try the other pan. Thank you for all of the great recipes!!!
★★★★★
Kylie Lato
The freezer is SO helpful in getting an easy dinner on the table! I wonder if a hearty layer of cornmeal might have alleviated the crust sticking to the pizza stone? Those pizza stones are so nice 🙂 One thing that might be helpful too would be preheating the pizza stone before you put the crust on it! My mother in law always lets hers heat up in the oven and her pizzas come out nice and crisp! Thanks for leaving a review Michelle - I really appreciate your feedback!
Michelle Lien
Great ideas! I did use corn meal under the crust, but maybe not enough. Thank you!
Michelle
Hey Kylie! I just wanted to tell you that I made this crust again. I made it Sunday and we had it tonight. We made early Valentine's heart shaped pizza's! They were perfect. The crust was amazing and didn't stick this time! Thanks for the advice! Let me know if you want a photo.
★★★★★
Kylie Lato
Yes! I am so glad that the crust worked better this time!!! I love the heart shaped pizza idea!! If you post any pics or stories on Instagram be sure to tag me @midwest.foodie and I will share!! Thank you 🙂