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This easy pesto pizza has a beautiful crispy crust topped with mozzarella, scrumptious basil pesto, and pine nuts. It’s so fresh and amazingly good, and you can make the pizza dough in just one bowl.
Published Nov 23, 2022/updated Mar 5, 2024
I’ll never say no to pizza, and I love any vegetarian topping, from this with feta to this or . They’re so easy to whip up and a million times better and cheaper than regular delivery pizzas.
And this freshly baked pesto pizza, with its crispy crust and juicy topping, is another amazing pizza recipe to add to your repertoire.
The contrast of textures, the richness of basil pesto, and the melty mozzarella glory are perfect for pleasing vegetarians and meat lovers alike!
Make this super-easy 1-bowl, grab some homemade or good-quality store-bought pesto, and make the pesto pizza recipe of your dreams.
Yes, you’re going to love it!
List of the ingredients
- (flour, yeast, salt, olive oil, and water)
- Fresh mozzarella (or shredded mozzarella)
- Pine nuts (optional)
- Salt & pepper
How to make pesto pizza
(Note: this is a quick description; the full recipe is at the bottom of the page)
- Grab a large bowl and start by making this pizza recipe. It’s easy to make and requires minimal prep time.
- You can make your own homemade pesto pizza sauce using a food processor () or good-quality store-bought pesto. But , , or pesto with kale also make a great twist and work well with pizza.
Recipe Notes
Pesto pizza ingredients
Homemade pizza dough: I use my favourite one-bowl pizza dough, which uses all-purpose flour, yeast, olive oil, water, and salt. You can find the full recipe and all the tips to make it here. But you can certainly use your favourite store-bought pizza dough to speed up the process.
Mozzarella cheese: I love fresh whole-milk mozzarella in our pizzas, but the shredded low-moisture option works well, too.
Pesto: The best flavour comes from fresh homemade basil pesto, but you can rely on good-quality store-bought pesto. Look for it in the prepared food/refrigerated section—fresh is best!
Pine nuts: I know they are pretty pricey, but only half a tablespoon is needed for a crispy texture and delicious flavour. Optional substitutions include walnuts or shaved almonds but feel free to skip them.
Salt and pepper: Make sure you add salt and freshly ground black pepper before baking. Also, I love some before serving.
Pesto pizza toppings?
This pizza is fantastic and can be easily personalized with some amazing toppings. You can add cherry tomatoes, shaved parmesan cheese, or grilled veggies like peppers, red onions, zucchini, and even a few dollops of ricotta to make it even tastier. And if you’re in the mood for a chicken pesto pizza, shredded chicken would be a great addition!
Tips for success!
1. Preheat the oven: A super-hot oven will help you achieve the perfect crust and ensure the pizza cooks evenly.
2. Bake the pizza on the bottom rack: This concentrates the heat on the bottom, resulting in a deliciously crunchy crust. But every oven is different, so you may need to try different positions to find the sweet spot for your oven.
3. Stretch the pizza dough with your fingers – Keep the gas bubbles inside to achieve a light, airy crust.
4. Bake your pizza on a hot or . That will give you more crispiness than using a pizza pan. Alternatively, you can use a (see my tips in the recipe card!).
5. Use and a (or the back of a baking sheet) to transfer your pizza to the hot stone. This helps if you use a high-hydration dough like my .
6. Bake only one pizza at a time – Cooking multiple pizzas at once can create too much moisture inside the oven and affect the texture of your pesto pizzas.
More easy pizza recipes?
This and or are sensational and perfect to inspire you!
Here are a few of our favourites:
If you make this delicious homemade pesto pizza or have a question, leave a comment. I would love to hear from you and get your feedback!
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Pesto Pizza
This scrumptious pesto pizza has a crispy crust topped with mozzarella, basil pesto sauce, and crispy pine nuts. It's fresh, flavorful, and amazingly good. Recipe yields 2 large servings (approx 12-inch pizza)
PIzza dough
- 1 easy pizza dough (or your fav dough)
Pesto topping
- 1 (140 gr/5oz) fresh mozzarella ball in water, diced (or ½ cup of shredded mozzarella)
- ¼ cup basil pesto sauce
- ½ tablespoon pine nuts
- ⅛ teaspoon fine salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Pizza dough
- Follow the through step 5, including shaping the pizza and preheating the oven to 450°F/230°C.
Pesto topping
- Shape the dough: When the dough is ready, follow step 5, place the dough on a parchment paper sheet, and starting from the center, gently press it out with your fingers until you get approximately a 9×13 inch pizza. Then, gently place the dough onto a pizza peel or onto the back of a rimmed baking sheet.
- Add the topping: Dice the mozzarella and pat it dry using kitchen towels to reduce the extra moisture. Spread the pesto sauce evenly, top with diced mozzarella, scatter a few pine nuts, and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Bake the pizza: When the oven is hot, use the pizza peel to carefully transfer the pizza onto the preheated pizza stone or hot baking sheet. Bake the pizza until the cheese and crust are nicely browned, approx 15 minutes. Each oven is different; keep an eye on it (e.g., in a forced fan oven, it will take about 8 minutes).
- Serve: Allow the pizza to cool for a minute or two before serving, but don't add extra olive oil (you'll have enough from the pesto sauce). Slice and serve immediately.
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