Italian Pesto Pizza Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spread basil pesto on each of two pizza crusts.
• Layer each crust with plum tomato; sprinkle with grated mozzarella cheese. (Or, layer with just cheese, using 3 ounces thinly sliced fresh mozzarella.) Season with coarse salt and ground pepper.
• Transfer to a baking sheet; bake until cheese has melted and crust is golden brown, about 10 minutes. Slice, and serve immediately.

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.

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:

• 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.

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!

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F.
• Cut chicken tenders into bite size pieces.
• Spray a medium nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray and cook chicken over medium heat for 3 minutes.
• Add onion and pesto; cook and stir 3 more minutes or until chicken is completely cooked through.
• Arrange tomato slices and chicken mixture on pizza crust, leaving bare the 1 inch from the edge.
• Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the pizza.
• Bake 8 minutes or until pizza is hot and cheese is melted and bubbly.

Steps:

• Crush garlic using a mortar and pestle. Add pine nuts; crush with the garlic. Add basil leaves gradually, making circular movements with the pestle, until a smooth paste forms.
• Mix Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and pecorino Romano cheese using a wooden spoon. Stir in olive oil until pesto is blended.

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.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
• Lightly oil a 12-inch pizza pan and dust it with cornmeal.
• Roll and stretch the dough to fit pan, leaving a thicker rim along the edge. Spread dough evenly with pesto.
• Mix cheeses together and sprinkle evenly over the pesto. Place pizza on bottom shelf of preheated oven and bake until the crust has browned and the cheese is bubbly and just turning golden, about 20 minutes. Serve at once.