Roasted Pepper Pesto Tomato Pizza Recipes

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.

TOMATOES ROASTED WITH PESTO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
• Core the tomatoes and then slice them across (not through the stem) in 1/2 inch-thick slices. Arrange the slices in a single layer on a sheet pan. Drizzle the tomatoes with the olive oil and sprinkle with the oregano, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and the pepper.
• Bake the tomatoes for 10 minutes. Remove them from the oven, spread each slice with Pesto, and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Return the tomatoes to the oven and continue baking for 7 to 10 minutes, until the Parmesan is melted and begins to brown. Using a flat metal spatula, put the tomatoes on a serving platter, sprinkle with extra salt, and serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.
• Place the walnuts, pine nuts, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process for 30 seconds. Add the basil, salt, and pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is pureed. Add the Parmesan and puree for a minute. Use immediately or store the pesto in the refrigerator or freezer with a thin film of olive oil on top.

RED PEPPER-BASIL PESTO PIZZA

Steps:

• For the pesto: Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F.
• Put the peppers on a baking sheet, rub them with the canola oil and season with salt and black pepper, to taste. Roast until they are slightly charred and soft, turning several times, about 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer the peppers to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let them steam for 10 minutes. Remove the skins and seeds.
• Put the peppers, garlic, basil and pine nuts into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. With the motor running, slowly pour the olive oil through the feed tube and pulse to emulsify. Add the cheese and salt and pepper, to taste and pulse a few more times just to combine. Scrape the mixture into a bowl.
• For the pizza: Light a grill to high heat.
• Roll the pizza dough into 2 (12-inch) circles, brush the top with some canola oil, and season them with salt and black pepper, to taste. Put them on the grill, oiled side down, and grill until the bottoms are slightly charred and golden brown. Brush the tops with additional oil before flipping the pizzas over. Continue grilling until the crusts are just firm, about 40 seconds.
• Transfer the shells to a baking sheet, top each with some of the pesto, mozzarella and shaved Parmigiano and return them to the grill. Close the cover and grill until the cheese melts. Remove the pizzas from the grill and finish the pizza with some sliced red onion and handful of arugula. Slice and serve.
• Combine the bread flour, sugar, yeast and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and combine. While the mixer is running, add the water and 2 tablespoons of the oil and beat until the dough forms into a ball. If the dough is sticky, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together in a solid ball. If the dough is too dry, add additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead into a smooth, firm ball.
• Grease a large bowl with the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil, add the dough, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in a warm area to let it double in size, about 1 hour. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 2 equal pieces. Cover each with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let them rest for 10 minutes.

ROASTED PEPPER PESTO-TOMATO PIZZA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Drop garlic through food chute with food processor on; process until minced.
• Add basil and next 6 ingredients (basil through bell peppers) and process until smooth, scraping sides of bowl.
• Place pizza crust on a baking sheet.
• Spread pepper mixture over pizza crust, leaving a 1/2 inch border, sprinkle with mozzarella.
• Arrange the tomato slices in a single layer on top of the cheese.
• Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes.
• Sprinkle pizza with oregano.

ROAST PEPPER PESTO WITH PASTA

Steps:

• Remove the skin from the roasted garlic cloves. In the small bowl of a food processor, whizz the roasted peppers, garlic, cayenne, almonds, Parmesan and oil until it makes a rough pesto consistency. Taste and season.
• Bring a pan of water to the boil and cook the pasta following pack instructions. Drain, reserving a little cooking water. Return the pasta to the pan with the pesto, basil and a little of the cooking water, then heat through. Serve with extra Parmesan, if you like.

ROASTED VEGGIE PIZZA WITH PESTO SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Place mushrooms, onion, peppers, zucchini & olives in a roasting pan lined with heavy-duty foil.
• Combine oil, garlic, rosemary, oregano and thyme; drizzle over vegetables and toss to coat.
• Cover and bake at 400°F for 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, for sauce, combine basil, oil, Parmesan cheese and garlic in a food processor; cover and process until smooth, scraping sides often; set aside.
• Place rolled out pizza dough in 9x13-inch pan going half way up sides of pan.
• Spread with sauce; top with the tomato slices.
• Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.
• Top with roasted vegetables.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until vegetables are cooked and cheese is melted and bubbly.

TOMATO & MOZZARELLA TART WITH ROAST PEPPER PESTO

Steps:

• Put a baking sheet in the oven and preheat to fan 200C/conventional 220C/gas 7. (Heating the sheet helps cook the pastry base.) Use the pastry to line a shallow rectangular tin about 20 x 30cm. Prick the base lightly with a fork.
• Scatter the Parmesan over the pastry base. Drain the peppers and pat dry on paper towels. (If the peppers are in oil, don't worry about this part.) Lay the whole peppers widthways across the pastry base. If the peppers aren't in oil, brush a little over them and the pastry, then season. Bake for about 15 minutes until the pastry is puffy and golden.
• Slice the tomatoes and mozzarella. Lay alternating, slightly overlapping lines of tomato and mozzarella over the peppers. Drizzle with oil, scatter with basil leaves and an extra grinding of black pepper, then serve while the pastry is still warm.