Heirloom Tomato Pizza With Pesto Sauce Recipes

GRILLED HEIRLOOM TOMATO AND PESTO PIZZAS

Steps:

• Divide pizza dough into 4 equal balls.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll each ball out to a rough circle about 9 inches in diameter; brush each side of the circles with olive oil and place on baking sheets.
• Prepare a grill for medium heat cooking.
• Working with one piece of dough at a time, place it on the grill rack and cook, rotating the crust frequently with tongs to help it cook evenly, until darkly browned on the bottom and air bubbles form on top, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Transfer browned-side up to the baking sheet; spread the browned side with 2 tablespoons pesto.
• Top with a few slices tomato (don't cover the entire surface or the pizza will end up soggy), sprinkle the top with 1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper, and dot with goat cheese.
• Slide or lift the pizza back onto the grill, close the grill cover and cook, rotating the pizza every now and then, until the bottom is deeply browned and the cheese begins to melt, about 3 minutes.
• Slide or lift the pizza back onto the baking sheet.
• Repeat with the remaining dough.

PESTO PIZZA WITH FRESH TOMATOES & MOZZARELLA

Steps:

• Combine the flour, olive oil, yeast, salt and water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix on low speed until the dough comes together. Increase the speed to medium-low and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
• Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled large bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• When the dough has risen, punch it down and place it on a lightly floured surface. Cut in half and roll each part into a ball. Cover the dough balls with a damp kitchen towel and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes (the dough will rise a bit).
• Meanwhile, set an oven rack in the bottom position and preheat the oven to 500°F. Sprinkle the cornmeal on an 18x13-inch baking sheet; set aside. Cut the tomatoes crosswise into ⅛-inch-thick slices and place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain the juices.
• Lightly dust a work surface with flour, and then press and stretch the rested dough into two 12x8-inch rectangles. If the dough is sticky, dust it lightly with flour. Place the two pizza doughs side-by-side on the cornmeal-dusted baking sheet. Press the dough out again so that it almost touches the edges of the pan.
• Spread ⅓ cup of the pesto evenly over the pizzas (2½ tablespoons each), leaving a 1-inch border. Bake on the bottom rack for 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven; and then top the pizzas with the mozzarella cheese, followed by the tomato slices and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Season each pizza with an ⅛-teaspoon salt and a few grinds fresh black pepper. Place the pizzas back in the oven and bake until the crust is crisp and golden, 6 to 8 minutes more. Transfer the pizzas to a cutting board. Drizzle the remaining pesto over the pizzas and sprinkle with the fresh basil. Cut into slices and serve immediately.
• Note: Active dry yeast may be used instead of instant/rapid-rise yeast, however, the dough will take longer to rise. To give active dry yeast a boost, you can dissolve it in the warm water and let it sit until frothy, about 10 minutes. After that, add it to the flour, olive oil, and salt, and proceed with the recipe.
• Make Ahead Instructions: Once the dough has completed it's initial rise, and you've cut it in half to form two balls, lightly coat each dough ball with olive oil. Place the dough ball(s) into a freezer bag and seal shut, squeezing out all the air. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 days. When ready to use, let the dough sit out on the countertop for 30 minutes to warm up before stretching.
• Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The dough can be frozen for up to 3 months. When ready to use, defrost in the refrigerator overnight (or for at least 12 hours), and then let it warm up on the countertop for about 30 minutes before stretching.

PESTO-HEIRLOOM TOMATO PIZZA

Steps:

• Combine the first five ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the mixture is evenly combined yet still coarse in texture. You may need to add the spinach in batches if your processor has a small or medium-size container.
• Stop the machine and season the mixture gently with salt and pepper; taste to see if you'd like to add more lemon juice, then pulse a few times to mix.
• Bake pizza dough rounds in a preheated 425°F oven for 15 minutes, until crust is golden.
• Spread pizza crust with pesto, then load up with sliced heirloom tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and top with plenty of thinly sliced basil leaves. Some Vegan Parmesan-style cheese and fresh oregano leaves would add a nice touch, too. This can be served at room temperature.

HEIRLOOM TOMATO PIZZA WITH PESTO SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven or grill to 450 degrees F.
• Stretch and shape pizza dough to desired size.
• Evenly spread homemade basil pesto over top of dough.
• Arrange heirloom tomato slices over top of pesto layer.
• Dot pizza with cigiline mozzarella
• Sprinkle top of pizza with shredded mozzarella cheese.
• Slide pizza over top of pizza stone in oven or grill using a pizza peel.
• Bake for 20-30 minutes, until cheese has melted and crust has browned on bottom.

HEIRLOOM-TOMATO PIZZA

Steps:

• Place a pizza stone on floor of gas oven (remove racks) or bottom rack of electric oven. Preheat oven to at least 500 degrees for 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, combine tomatoes and oil; season with salt and pepper. Let stand 1 hour.
• Arrange cheese evenly over dough, leaving a 1-inch border. Top with tomatoes, oregano, and guanciale.
• Switch oven to broiler setting. Align edge of peel with edge of stone. Tilt peel, jerking it gently to move pizza. When edge of pizza touches stone, quickly pull back peel to transfer pizza to stone. (Do not move pizza.) Broil until bubbles begin to form in crust, 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce temperature to 500 degrees; bake until crust is crisp and golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes more. (If not using broiler, bake pizza 10 to 15 minutes total.) Remove pizza from oven using peel. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with basil. Slice and serve.