Pesto Pizza

This Pesto Pizza is the ideal meal for a busy evening. Recipe shows how easy it is to make homemade pizza dough with instructions on freezing the dough for later uses. Make one large pizza to serve a group or a single serving pizza with this versatile recipe.

You’ll love the fresh flavors in this homemade pesto pizza!

Homemade pizza dough is one of the things that make homemade pizza so wonderful. You just can’t beat the flavor and texture of homemade pizza dough.  

With this pesto pizza recipe, I’m going to show you how easy it is to make your own homemade pizza – including the dough, quickly and effortlessly.

Why This Recipe Works

• The dough is very easy to make.
• The pizza dough featured in this recipe will actually yield enough for 2-3 single serving pizzas.
• Jarred pesto can be purchased in grocery stores but it’s so easy to make at home too. Pesto made from scratch is so much more delicious than any store-bought version. Plus, you get to control the ingredient amounts and there are no added preservatives or artificial ingredients.
• Pesto is an uncooked sauce that is often made from fresh basil leaves or fresh spinach. I almost always have spinach in my refrigerator and homemade pesto is a great way to use up any slightly wilted spinach.

Ingredient Notes

See recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.

• Flour: Use all-purpose flour.
• Yeast: I use instant yeast, which is also called, “fast-rising” or “fast-acting” dry yeast. This type of yeast can be added in with the dry ingredients. There is no need to dissolve the yeast in water before using.
• Salt: For flavor.
• Water: Use warm water. I microwave the water for about 30 seconds. You want the temperature to be warm but not too hot to touch.
• Olive oil: I use extra virgin olive oil in this Pesto Pizza recipe as well as in every other recipe on ZagLeft that calls for olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil is the least processed form of olive oil. It is an unrefined oil and the highest-quality olive oil you can buy. Because of the way extra virgin olive oil is made, it retains more true olive taste. It also contains more of the vitamins and minerals found in olives. It’s my favorite type of olive oil to use but you may use a lighter olive oil instead.
• Pesto: In our recipe we use spinach but you can use the same amount of fresh basil if you prefer. Feel free to use your favorite store-bought brand.
• Vegetables: Zucchini, yellow squash, and red pepper.
• Cheese: I use shredded mozzarella, but you can use whatever cheese you have on hand.

How To Make This Recipe

To Make The Pizza Dough

1. Put the flour, yeast and salt in a food processor with a dough blade. Turn the machine on and pulse a few times.  
2. Pour in the water and process until the mixture forms a slightly sticky ball about 45 seconds. (See Notes)
3. Rub a little olive oil on your hands and shape the dough into a ball. Place the ball of dough into a large greased bowl. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
4. Divide the dough into three even pieces. Shape each piece of dough into a ball and lightly coat with olive oil.  

To Make The Pesto

1. Combine the spinach, pine nuts, garlic and lemon juice in a food processor. Lightly pulse. 
2. With the machine running, gradually add the olive oil blending until the mixture is creamy. Add the parmesan and pulse. Season with salt to taste.

To Slice The Vegetables

1. Either use the slicing disc if slicing the vegetables in the food processor or thinly slice the vegetables with a knife.

To Assemble The Pizza

1. Place 1 ball of dough on a heavily floured surface.  Using your fingers or the heel of your hand, stretch the dough into a circle of about 1/4-inch thickness.
2. Top with pesto.
3. Add the shredded cheese.
4. Scatter the vegetables over the cheese.
5. Bake for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is lightly browned.

Expert Tips

• This Vegetable Pizza recipe calls for using instant yeast however if you have active dry yeast, you can use that instead. The two yeasts can be used interchangeably in recipes. The difference between the two is that active dry yeast needs to be dissolved in warm water before using while instant yeast can be mixed in with the other ingredients.
• If your fingers stick to the dough, you can lightly grease them with olive oil.
• You certainly don’t need a food processor to make a pizza.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do You Freeze Pizza Dough?

After mixing the ingredients together for the pizza dough and after the dough rises, it can easily be frozen.

1. Divide the dough into 3 pieces.
2. Roll each piece of dough into a ball lightly coated with oil.
3. Freeze each one in a separate zip-top freezer bag.

Pizza dough will stay good for up the 3 months in the freezer. When you’re ready to make your pizza, put the bag with the ball of dough in the refrigerator and thaw.

How To Store Leftover Homemade Pesto?

The pesto recipe will yield enough for a few small pizzas.

If you choose to make homemade pesto and use it with this pizza recipe, store the rest in a covered container in the refrigerator. Consider using the pesto in breakfast recipes, in a dip, mixed with pasta, or with Chicken Margherita.

Homemade pesto will keep for a week if covered in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!

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