Homemade Pizza with Mozzarella, Cherry Tomatoes and Pesto

Homemade Pizza with Mozzarella, Cherry Tomatoes and Pesto

Ray Kachatorian

Provided by: Curtis Stone

1 hr 5 mins total 30 mins prep Full Screen

Servings

Ingredients

• 12 cherry tomatoes with stems
• 1 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 1/2 bunches fresh basil leaves (about 1 1/2 cups lightly packed)
• 1/3 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 c pine nuts toasted
• 1/3 c extra-virgin olive oil
• all-purpose flour (for dusting)
• 2 balls 8-ounce pizza dough (store-bought)
• 6 ounces buffalo mozzarella cheese
• 4 T freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 c fresh basil leaves
• 4 t extra-virgin olive oil
• salt
• black pepper freshly ground

Directions

• Place a large baking stone on the bottom shelf in the oven and position the second shelf in the upper third of the oven then preheat the oven to 475°F.
• Heating the baking stone well in advance will allow enough time for it to become very hot before baking the pizzas on it.
• Baking on the very hot stone will create pizzas with crisp crusts.
• Lay the tomatoes on a nonreactive baking sheet and drizzle lightly with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
• Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Set the baking sheet on the second shelf in the oven and roast the tomatoes in the oven until they are tender and begin to brown about 10 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and set aside.
• To Make the Pesto:
• Using a Bump and Grind or another large mortar and pestle smash the garlic into a coarse puree.
• Add 1 1/2 bunches of the basil and pound until it is coarsely chopped.
• Add the pine nuts and smash to break them up.
• Mix in 1/3 cup of the Parmesan cheese.
• Slowly mix in 1/3 cup of the olive oil.
• Season the pesto to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.
• To Prepare the Pizzas:
• Lightly dust the work surface with flour and press 1 ball of dough on the work surface into a circle.
• Continue to press and pull the dough into a thin irregularly shaped disk that is about 10 inches in diameter being careful not to over work the gluten in the flour by over kneading it.
• Lay a silicone baking mat on a pizza paddle then lay the pizza dough on the mat.
• Spread 1/4 cup of the pesto sauce in a thin layer over the pizza dough leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edge.
• Arrange half of the roasted tomatoes over the pizza.
• Tear the mozzarella into long stringy pieces and scatter half of them over the pizza.
• Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese over the pizza.
• Immediately slide the pizza (still on the baking mat) off of the paddle and onto the hot baking stone in the oven.
• Bake the pizza for about 12 minutes or until the bottom is crisp and deep golden brown and the cheese has melted and become pale golden on top.
• Using the pizza paddle remove the pizza (still on the baking mat) from the stone then slide the pizza off of the mat and onto a cutting board.
• Scatter half of the basil leaves over the pizza. Drizzle with 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Using a pizza wheel or large sharp knife cut the pizza into pieces and serve.
• Repeat to make a second pizza.
• After the second pizza has finished baking turn the oven off leaving the baking stone in the oven to cool slowly.
• Visit http://curtisstone.com.

• Filed under:
• Vegetable,
• Italian,
• Vegetarian,
• Main Dish,
• Dinner,
• Birthday,
• Housewarming

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