Make: Summer Pesto Pizza
This has been THE focus of a few weekends this summer. Okay mostly my focus. As basil and kale started to get big and wild in my garden, this Friday night pizza came to fruition.
In case you're looking for a good quick recipie (I took out all the uncessecary things....) here is how you should round out the last weekends of summer :)
PART 1 - GARDEN PESTO
Kale or Spinach leaves
1/4 cup of basil leaves
1/3 cup of pine nuts
1/4 cup of walnuts
1/3 cup of grated Parmesan
1/3 cup of Olive Oil
1/2 of a lemon juice
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1. In a food processor (we only have a blender, and that worked fine too!) put in walnuts, pine nuts, cheese, basil, the greens of your choice, and lemon juice. BLEND.
2. Pour in olive oil and salt and pepper to your liking. Do a quick blend.
3. DONE. EASY.
PART 2 - ROASTED GARLIC CHICKEN PESTO PIZZA
1 pizza dough ball (I found a dough ball ready to rise at the supermarket)
1 full head of garlic
1/3 cup of your garden pesto
1 cooked chicken breast
1 1/2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tomato for topping
1. If you want roasted garlic, this adds another 45 minutes onto your prep time.
Heat oven to 375.
Chop 1 or 2 heads of garlic so that one end is flat and garlic is exposed. Leave the other end of cloves wrapped in skin.
Cover a 9 inch cake pan or bread pan in oil, and place the exposed garlic side down on the oil, salt and pepper that surface.
Cover with foil
Roast in oven for 40 minutes
Pull out and let sit while you make the rest of your pizza
2. Place your pizza dough in a bowl and cover with a dish towel for 15 minutes to rise (will almost double in size).
3. Set oven to 475 degrees
4. Pull out pizza stone or cookie sheet (lined with foil). Spread olive oil and sprinkle cornmeal if you'd like to coat the bottom crust.
5. Pull out dough after 15 minutes onto a wooden cutting board or clean surface. Flatten it out into a 12 inch pizza. Roll up the edges of the crust.
6. Spread olive oil on dough.
7. Crack open and spread the roasted garlic (will be a paste) onto your dough.
8. Spread pesto on top and then cut up baked chicken and place on top. Add mozzarella cheese and sliced tomato.
9. Bake for 10-15 minutes.
If our finicky oven can pop out this amazing pizza, yours definitely can :) Enjoy!
-Emily
