three greens pesto pizza
Photo by: The Culinary Nest & Jaclyn Misch
I mean, if it has THREE greens on it, it’s automatically in the healthy category… right? I LOVE the blend of these ingredients. It is bright with the citrus notes, herbaceous from the pesto, and so decadently creamy from the burrata & ricotta cheeses. After trying this baby, you may never opt for a red sauce pizza again. All you need at home is a pizza stone (you can do it without it but I highly recommended one for a crispy crust!) and you’re ready to rock!
Use this No Knead Pizza Dough recipe to make your own at home!
Recipe by: The Culinary Nest
MAKES
4-6 slices
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
INGREDIENTS
No Knead Pizza Dough (or your favorite store bought dough!)
1/2 cup basil pesto (highly recommend buying a fresh made pesto or making your own!)
2 large balls of burrata, torn
1/2 cup ricotta, broken up
1/2 cup each kale & spinach
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lemon, juice and zest
Crushed red pepper (optional but recommended)
Parmesan cheese, for garnish
METHOD
Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 425˚F.
While the stone preheats with the oven, use a large wooden pizza paddle or a large flat surface to make the pizza on. Flour the surface well before placing the pizza dough.
I tore the pizza dough into two that I purchased to make a more “medium” sized pizza that cuts into either 4 or 6 slices. If making a larger sized pizza, you may need to increase the amount of pesto + other ingredients to accommodate. Flour your hands lightly and the outside of the pizza dough to prevent sticking. Using your hands, press out the pizza dough into a more flat oval. Pick up the dough, and working your way around the edges, turn the dough in circles and stretch until the dough is about 1/4” thick. You may need to work with it for a little bit! Patience is key, and perfection is not! Don’t stress if it isn’t a perfect oval, rustic is beautiful!
Once the dough is stretched to a circle, use a spoon to spread out the pesto over the surface, leaving about 1/2” around the edges clean. Next, top the pizza with the burrata & ricotta evenly, it is okay if there is space between the cheeses as it will melt.
In a small bowl, toss the kale & spinach with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and lightly sprinkle with salt & pepper. Place this mix evenly over the cheese layer. In a small bowl put the other 1 tablespoon of olive oil and using a brush, lightly coat the crust with the olive oil.
This next part is a little tricky but so doable! You need to get the pizza onto the stone next, without removing the stone from the oven (this is why the floured surface under the pizza dough is crucial so it slides!). Open the oven, pull out the rack, and while holding the edge of your wooden paddle or floured surface, in small fast movements wiggle the surface back and forth until the pizza slides onto the stone. Close the oven and cook for about 12 minutes, until the edges of the pizza are a beautiful brown and if lifted, the middle is cooked underneath.
While the pizza is cooking, toss the arugula in a small bowl with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and set aside.
When the pizza is done, remove from the oven, top with the lemon arugula, lemon zest, fresh parmesan cheese & crushed red pepper.
