Make pesto pizza in minutes with premade dough and sauce, fresh mozzarella slices and juicy tomatoes. A fresh, easy twist on pizza night.
What is pesto?
Pesto is an Italian sauce that is made by combining olive oil with fresh basil, fresh garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese and salt.
It’s used as a sauce in many pasta dishes as an alternative to tomato sauce.
Pesto sauce is also a great foundational sauce for pizza. The flavor is herbaceous but also rich and nutty.
This pesto pizza recipe is kept really simple with fresh mozzarella and fresh tomatoes, but you’re welcome to add whatever toppings you’d like.
I use fresh mozzarella versus shredded mozzarella because it melts beautifully, creating a thick creamy contrast that tastes great with the basil pesto.
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Heat Grill: Place a pizza stone on your grill. Heat it to 500F degrees. If you’re using the Ninja FlexFlame, use the grill/pizza setting.
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Flour: Dust a pizza peel with flour. Stretch out the dough and place on the peel. Wiggle it to make sure it has enough flour to slide off.
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Sauce: Use the back of a spoon to spread pesto sauce all over the dough, leaving about a 1/2 inch border for the crust.
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Top: Add slices of fresh mozzarella, halved tomatoes and 3/4 of the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes.
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Bake: Transfer the pizza to your preheated grill. It will take 7-8 minutes to cook. You want the crust and cheese to be golden and bubbly.
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Garnish: Top with the remaining Parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves. Slice and serve.
Calories: 264kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 11gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 684mgPotassium: 73mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 755IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 206mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Ingredients
- Pizza Dough: Use homemade pizza dough or store bought dough. It will stretch better if it’s at room temperature.
- Pesto Sauce: You can make homemade fresh pesto sauce, but it’s much easier to buy premade pesto sauce.
- Fresh Mozzarella: You’ll find this in the deli section. The unsliced cheese is shaped like a ball. The pre-sliced mozzarella is shaped like a log. You can use either.
- Cherry Tomoatoes
- Parmesan Cheese
- Red Pepper Flakes: These are optional for those who like heat.
- Fresh Basil Leaves: You’ll add these after the pizza bakes for a pop of freshness.
Substitutions: Instead of the fresh mozzarella, you can also use shredded mozzarella cheese.
See the full recipe card above for servings and a full list of ingredients.
How to bake pesto pizza
Place a pizza stone on your grill or in your oven. Set the temperature to 500F degrees. If you’re using the Ninja FlexFlame, set the function to grill/pizza.
Dust a pizza peel with flour. Stretch out the dough and place on the peel. Wiggle it to make sure it has enough flour to slide off.
- STEP ONE: Use the back of a spoon to spread pesto sauce all over the dough, leaving about a 1/2 inch border for the crust.
- STEP TWO: Add slices of fresh mozzarella, halved tomatoes and 3/4 of the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes.
- STEP THREE: Transfer the pizza to your preheated grill. It will take 7-8 minutes to cook. You want the crust and cheese to be golden and bubbly.
- STEP FOUR: Remove the pizza from the grill and transfer it to a pizza pan, cutting board or baking sheet.
- STEP FIVE: Top with the remaining Parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves.
How to serve pesto pizza
Use a pizza cutter to slice the pesto pizza into six pieces. Enjoy it while it’s warm and the cheese is still hot and melty.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. The dough will get soggy pretty quickly, so it’s best enjoyed right away.
GCG Pro Pitmaster Tips
- Start with room temperature pizza dough; it stretches better
- Save time by using pre-made pesto sauce
- Try fresh mozzarella for a creamier pizza
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