Pesto Pizza

Name: Pesto Pizza
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Europe, Italian
Ingredients: 1 recipe Basic Pizza Crust or 1 pound prepared pizza dough; 1/2 cup prepared pesto; 1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese; 1 plum tomato, sliced; 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper; Fresh basil leaves, optional

Total Time Prep: 25 min. Bake: 10 min. + standing

Yield 8 servings

Test Kitchen Approved

Pesto pizza is a colorful (and delicious!) twist on a typical red-sauce pizza. Accentuate pesto's bright, bold flavors with a few slices of juicy tomatoes, or customize the pie with any of your favorite pizza toppings.

Ingredients

1 recipe Basic Pizza Crust or 1 pound prepared pizza dough
1/2 cup prepared pesto
1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 plum tomato, sliced
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
Fresh basil leaves, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°. Press dough to fit a greased 14-in. pizza pan. Pinch edge to form a rim. Bake until edge is lightly browned, 10-12 minutes.
Spread pesto over crust. Sprinkle with mozzarella. Top with tomato slices and pepper. Bake on a lower oven rack until heated through and crust is golden brown, 10-12 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. If desired, garnish with fresh basil.

Nutrition Facts

1 piece: 265 calories, 13g fat (4g saturated fat), 18mg cholesterol, 420mg sodium, 27g carbohydrate (1g sugars, 1g fiber), 10g protein.

On your next Italian night, use pesto instead of red sauce for a refreshingly different take on pizza. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

Recipe Creator