Red Pepper-Basil Pesto Pizza

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Picture of Red Pepper-Basil Pesto Pizza Recipe 1 Video | Photo: Red Pepper-Basil Pesto Pizza Recipe
Rated 4 stars out of 5
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Total Time:
50 min
Prep
30 min
Inactive
10 min
Cook
10 min
Yield:
4 to 6 servings
Level:
Easy
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Ingredients

Red Pepper-Basil Pesto:

  • 2 medium red bell peppers, stemmed
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
  • 3 tablespoons pine nuts
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
  • Pizza dough, recipe follows
  • Canola oil, as needed
  • Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
  • Red Pepper-Basil Pesto, see recipe above
  • 12 ounces fresh Mozzarella, sliced
  • 1 wedge Parmigiano-Reggiano, shaved
  • 1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced
  • 2 cups baby arugula leaves

Directions

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.

Pizza Dough:

  • 3 1/2 to 4 cups bread flour, plus more for rolling (Chef's Note: Using bread flour will give you a much crisper crust. If you can't find bread flour, you can substitute it with all-purpose flour which will give you a chewier crust.)
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 envelope instant dry yeast
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 cups water, 110 degrees F
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus 2 teaspoons

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.

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Newest Ratings and Reviews

Read all 3 reviews

  • on September 05, 2011

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    Everything about this was delicious! Definitely one of the tastiest things I've ever eaten. I had to add WAY more flour than the recipe called for, but it didn't have any negative effects. The dough, the sauce, and the cheese all tasted fantastic together!

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  • on August 31, 2011

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    This meal took me way too long to prepare. It made a big mess in my kitchen. It was expensive to buy the cheeses. And my kids really didn't like it. I thought it was okay. I used Romano cheese instead of Parmigiano-Reggiano so maybe that would make a difference. The Ramano was really strong in flavor and non of us liked it very much. I skinned the peppers and I thought the pesto was pretty good. We used Naan Indian bread which was very yummy

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  • on August 01, 2011

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    This recipe was easy and delicious. I did make a few of my own modifications, including... I used a store bought refrigerated pizza crust. It still tasted great with kosher salt & a little sugar. I only used mozzarella cheese and goat cheese to reduce the amount of fat. I also didn't skin the peppers after roasting. While this is many changes to the original recipe, this pizza was still amazing! Thanks so much.

    people found this review Helpful.
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