Caprese Pizza with Fresh Tomatoes and Pesto
This is a variation of our pizza base recipe. Caprese salad is one of our favorite summertime sides. Tangy tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, fresh basil, and sweet balsamic are all great ingredients in the summer, so why not throw them on a pizza?
Servings: 1 12" pizza
Calories: 1788kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pizza dough round (8-10 ounces)
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- ⅓ cup pesto
- 4-ounce fresh mozzarella cheese ball, thinly sliced
- 1 large tomato, sliced
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 2 Tablespoons balsamic reduction
- 5-6 large basil leaves, chiffonade
Instructions
Pizza Stone Instructions
- Place pizza stone on bottom rack of oven. Preheat oven to 500°F. Heat one hour before cooking for the crispiest crust.
- Stretch pizza dough into a 12” circle on a piece of parchment paper. Brush with oil. Prick the stretched dough in about 5 different places with a fork to keep it from bubbling.
- Using a pizza peel, slide pizza crust with parchment paper onto stone. If you don’t have a pizza peel, a baking sheet without a rim or an upside down baking sheet will work. Cook for 6-7 minutes until the crust begins to turn golden brown.
- Remove crust from oven. Spread pesto onto the center of the crust, leaving a plain border. Arrange mozzarella and tomato slices on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then drizzle with balsamic reduction and garnish with fresh basil. Enjoy!
If you don’t have a pizza stone:
- Preheat oven to 500ºF.
- Stretch pizza dough into a 12” circle on a piece of parchment paper.* Brush with oil. Prick the stretched dough in about 5 different places with a fork to keep it from bubbling.
- Place pizza crust and parchment paper onto your pan. Cook for 10-12 minutes, or until crust begins to turn golden brown.
- Remove crust from oven. Spread pesto onto the center of the crust, leaving a plain border. Arrange mozzarella and tomato slices on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then drizzle with balsamic reduction and garnish with fresh basil. Enjoy!
Notes
Because the dough doesn’t have any toppings while baking, prick holes in the crust to keep it from puffing up in the oven. Don’t skip this step!
Nutrition
Serving: 1pizza | Calories: 1788kcal | Carbohydrates: 220g | Protein: 66g | Fat: 75g | Saturated Fat: 25g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 101mg | Sodium: 2039mg | Potassium: 877mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 39g | Vitamin A: 10324IU | Vitamin C: 47mg | Calcium: 970mg | Iron: 16mg