They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions...Here's hoping that's not true! Despite my pledge to start blogging regularly again, life got in the way, and here we are nearly a month later. The good news is, I'm bringing you another stellar recipe and it's PIZZA to boot. Not only that, it's really 3 recipes in one! So, maybe that makes up for my absence? I want to write more about just what has been keeping me away, beyond simply the craziness of 2 little ones, but today is not the day for that...hopefully, soon? In any case, please have some pizza.
This twist on a standard pizza feels lighter and is definitely more nutritious than your average pizza. It's great for a warm summer evening and the excess sauce can be frozen to be used on pasta, salmon, or even spread on sandwiches for a fun change.
Spring Pea Pesto Pizza
makes 1 14-inch-ish pizza
Dough
1 1/2 - 2 cups flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
6 Tbsp warm water
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp honey
salt
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Start with 1 1/2 cups of flour and work your way up as needed to achieve the desired dough consistency once liquid is added. Combine your warm water, oil, and honey; stir to combine. Pour into the dry ingredients and mix. If it seems very sticky/wet, add a bit more flour, a tablespoon or 2 at a time. You want it to be moist, but not sticky, so that you can knead it with your hands without it sticking to you. Knead for about five minutes until nice and smooth. Leave to rest for about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile....
Pea Mint Pesto
2 cups peas (fresh or frozen and thawed)
1/4 cup loosely packed mint leaves
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tsp garlic
salt
1 Tbsp lemon juice
In a blender or food processor, mix together the peas, mint, and garlic until a paste has formed. With blender or blades running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil, then add the lemon juice and salt. Blend until nice and smooth; taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
PIZZA!
1/2 of your pesto sauce
1 batch of dough (you can use store-bought, but I can't say how large that will be)
1/2 - 1 cup fresh mozzarella, shredded or thinly sliced
Parmesan, Asiago, or some other mix, about 1/4 cup, shredded
1+ cup of arugula
2 tsp lemon juice
2 large radishes, thinly sliced
salt + pepper
Preheat the oven to 425*F. Roll out the dough on a piece of parchment paper into a circle. You want the dough to be quite thin, maybe an 1/8th of an inch, if you can. Drizzle with a touch of olive oil and spread over the top of the crust (I just used my hand). Place dough and parchment paper onto a cookie sheet and bake for about 8-10 minutes, until the crust is just starting to get some color.
Remove from oven and spread pesto over top, creating a good layer (but not "thick") of pesto all over, nearly to the edges. Top with the 2 cheeses. Bake for another 5+ minutes, until crust is well-cooked and cheeses are bubbly and a bit golden in places. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a couple minutes.
While pizza cools slightly, toss arugula and radishes together in a bowl (I used the same one I had made the dough in) with a bit of olive oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. You want to just dress the greens very lightly, not make them wet. Slice the pizza and top with the arugula salad before serving. Enjoy!
Spring Pea Pesto Pizza
makes 1 14-inch-ish pizza
Dough
1 1/2 - 2 cups flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
6 Tbsp warm water
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp honey
salt
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Start with 1 1/2 cups of flour and work your way up as needed to achieve the desired dough consistency once liquid is added. Combine your warm water, oil, and honey; stir to combine. Pour into the dry ingredients and mix. If it seems very sticky/wet, add a bit more flour, a tablespoon or 2 at a time. You want it to be moist, but not sticky, so that you can knead it with your hands without it sticking to you. Knead for about five minutes until nice and smooth. Leave to rest for about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile....
Pea Mint Pesto
2 cups peas (fresh or frozen and thawed)
1/4 cup loosely packed mint leaves
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tsp garlic
salt
1 Tbsp lemon juice
In a blender or food processor, mix together the peas, mint, and garlic until a paste has formed. With blender or blades running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil, then add the lemon juice and salt. Blend until nice and smooth; taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
PIZZA!
1/2 of your pesto sauce
1 batch of dough (you can use store-bought, but I can't say how large that will be)
1/2 - 1 cup fresh mozzarella, shredded or thinly sliced
Parmesan, Asiago, or some other mix, about 1/4 cup, shredded
1+ cup of arugula
2 tsp lemon juice
2 large radishes, thinly sliced
salt + pepper
Preheat the oven to 425*F. Roll out the dough on a piece of parchment paper into a circle. You want the dough to be quite thin, maybe an 1/8th of an inch, if you can. Drizzle with a touch of olive oil and spread over the top of the crust (I just used my hand). Place dough and parchment paper onto a cookie sheet and bake for about 8-10 minutes, until the crust is just starting to get some color.
Remove from oven and spread pesto over top, creating a good layer (but not "thick") of pesto all over, nearly to the edges. Top with the 2 cheeses. Bake for another 5+ minutes, until crust is well-cooked and cheeses are bubbly and a bit golden in places. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a couple minutes.
While pizza cools slightly, toss arugula and radishes together in a bowl (I used the same one I had made the dough in) with a bit of olive oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. You want to just dress the greens very lightly, not make them wet. Slice the pizza and top with the arugula salad before serving. Enjoy!