Never have I done so much for a pizza...
For the pesto:
2 cups basil leaves, packed
3 cloves garlic
0.25 cup pine nuts
0.5 cup extra virgin olive oil
0.5 cup pecorino romano, grated
Salt & pepper to taste
For the pizza:
1 package prepared pizza dough
2 roma tomatoes, sliced
1 medium zucchini, sliced
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
0.75 cup shredded mozzarella
0.25 cup pecorino romano, grated
But @ least it wasn't too complicated...
In a food processor, chop up the basil leaves
Add in the garlic, pine nuts, & half the olive oil; blend until it turns into a paste
Add in the rest of the oil, season with salt & pepper, & blend until smooth
Mix in the cheese & set aside
Sauté the onion over medium-low heat until soft; then sauté the zucchini slices until they are soft
Roll out the pizza dough & spread the pesto evenly on top, keeping away form the edges
Sprinkle mozzarella over the pesto & lay down the tomato & zucchini slices
Spread the caramelized onion on top & grate pecorino romano all over
Bake at 450F for 10 minutes
Makes 1 cup of pesto & 1 10-inch pizza
I stretched the dough out too thin in the middle so it kind of made a mess. I can never get this part right because when the middle is the right thickness, the edges are too thick. And when the edges are the right thickness, the middle has hole. Ugh! I also used way too much olive oil for my pesto (0.67 cup - what the recipe called for) & completely forgot to mix it with the pecorino cheese. As a result, the pizza got a bit soggy & the excess oil spilled out of my cookie sheet & dripped down to the bottom of my oven. Smoke alert! Alas, the flavors of the pesto was fresh & had a good kick from the garlic. The pizza was delicious & the sweetness of the onion & zucchini held up nicely against the tartness of the tomato & the sharpness of the pecorino. I know I talked about not wanting a pizza stone in my previous post(s) but I think I need one if my crusts are always turning out undercooked & not crisp. Is there any way I can get around this giant slab of stone situation??
Yum Sugar says to :
ReplyDeletepreheat the oven to 500 degrees F with a baking pan sheet inside,
roll out the pizza dough as thin as possible to fit the sheet.
After 15 minutes take the sheet out with a pair of mitts,
drizzle the sheet with olive oil, and
then transfer the dough to the sheet, cover with toppings and cheese and "Bake immediately for 12-15 minutes until the crust is browned and the cheese is nicely melted.. "
This recipes sounds really good. I was eyeing the pre-made pesto at whole foods the other day and I've been wanting to try middle east / mediterranean food for awhile, and I like the idea of using pecorino romano cheese.
Thanks Karen! :D xo
Thank you! I am going to try this method next time. Now I just have to find a tutorial on how to best roll out pizza dough...they keep springing back on me.
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