Pesto Pizza Recipe

I combined three four recipes to make this pizza and really liked how it turned out. You could easily leave out the chicken for a vegetarian recipe, use gluten-free dough, leave out the parmesan cheese in the pesto, or whatever you need to do!


I used the following recipes to create this pizza:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Pizza-with-Pesto-Fresh-Tomatoes-and-Mozzarella-101994
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/garden-tomato-basil-pesto-pizza-10000001087068/
http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/classic_baked_chicken/
http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/fresh_basil_pesto/


Here is my recipe - enjoy!

Pesto Pizza w/Tomatoes, Fresh Mozzarella and Chicken

YIELD

 Makes one 12-14" pizza, feeds 3-4

ACTIVE TIME

 1 hour +

INGREDIENTS

• • 6 ounces thinly sliced fresh mozzarella (I used ciliegine)
  • 2 med/lg (heirloom) tomatoes
  • 1 pound pizza dough (Whole Foods pre-made dough was really good), (thawed if frozen)
  • all-purpose whole wheat flour for dusting
  • 3 tablespoons basil pesto (Simply Recipes)
  • 1/4 Cup thinly sliced fresh basil
  • Optional: 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

• Special equipment

  • a large pizza stone (at least 14 inches across)
  • a baker's peel or parchment paper

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INSTRUCTIONS

• 1. Bake chicken (Simply Recipes)
  2. If making homemade, make pesto (Simply Recipes).
  3. At least 1 hour before baking pizza, set stone on lowest rack of oven (if you have a gas stove, stone can go directly on oven floor) and preheat oven to 500°F.
  4. Thinly slice fresh mozzarella, basil, chicken and cut tomatoes crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices (or chop).
  5. On a floured surface with your hands pat out and stretch dough evenly into a 12-inch round, keeping hands flat. (Do not handle dough more than necessary. If dough is sticky, dust it lightly with flour.)
  6. Dust parchment paper with flour and carefully transfer dough onto it. Jerk peel once or twice and, if dough is sticking, lift dough and sprinkle flour underneath it, reshaping dough if necessary.
  7. Spread pesto over dough leaving a 1-inch border and place cheese.
  8. Arrange tomato over cheese.
  9. Add chicken slices and season with salt and pepper.
  10. Line up far edge of peel with far edge of stone and tilt peel, jerking it gently to start pizza moving. Once edge of pizza touches stone, quickly pull back peel to completely transfer pizza to stone. (I used parchment paper and accidentally baked it on the paper - turned out fine).
  11. Bake pizza until dough is crisp and brown, about 10 to 12 minutes, and transfer with peel to a cutting board.
  12. At about 5 minutes, sprinkle with fresh basil slices.
  13. Cut pizza into slices and serve immediately.