Three Cheese Pesto Pizza

Grocery stores have really started to branch out when it comes to their merchandise.

When I was a kid you could only find the American staples: canned goods, produce, meat, dairy—nothing out of the ordinary. The only thing exotic to me back then were the fresh fruit roll-ups in the produce section.

Now, you have your choice of organic & locally-sourced fruit roll-ups. Exotic treats and products sit along every corner of the grocery store.

I’ve developed a hankering for French yogurt and there are two brands sold at my market. I can find kimchi, kombucha, and aloe stalks. I’ve become obsessed with the naan and flatbreads near the bakery.

My grocery store, an OKC chain, also carries a great selection of MIO (Made in Oklahoma) products. I always buy a salsa made by students in Moore. I grab a few containers of Amelia yogurt when I can. Whatever cheese selection they have from Lovera’s, I’ll take it.

I still had quite a bit of leftover goat cheese from the satchet I bought to make the pasta salad. With that “exotic” product, I grabbed another one: naan. I’ve found that naan is a fantastic makeshift pizza crust; it crisps up nicely, hold toppings well, and has a wonderful flavor. No need to roll out and make your own dough here.

If you can’t find naan in your grocery store, use a pre-packaged flatbread. If all else fails, grab a can of Pillsbury pizza dough that you can roll out onto a baking sheet. I’m a strict believer that homemade pizza tastes better in rectangle shape. I guess it’s my childhood rubbing off on me? I did always love the rectangle pizza from my school’s cafeteria…

I adored this impromptu pizza. No red sauce here—just pesto. I cooked some bell pepper and red onion and then topped my delicious pesto-slathered naan with fresh mozzarella, shaved parmesan, and my leftover homemade goat cheese. I sliced up some fresh, off-the-vine tomatoes and finished off the pizza with juicy goodness.

This recipe makes four “pizzas”. I wrapped up the leftovers in foil and then heated them up in a slow oven to reheat (for about 10-15 minutes) and the pizzas were asgood as new.

Enjoy!

Three Cheese Pesto Pizza

• Servings: 4
• Time: 25 mins
• Difficulty: Easy
• Print

Crispy mini-pizzas with pesto, fresh mozzarella, shaved parmesan, goat cheese, and fresh tomatoes.

Ingredients

• 1 red onion, diced
• 1 orange bell pepper, diced
• 1 TBS. olive oil
• 4 flatbreads or naan
• 1 (6.25 oz) jar pesto
• 1 cup goat cheese, crumbled
• 10 oz. fresh mozzarella, sliced
• 1 cup shaved parmesan
• 2 vine-ripened tomatoes, sliced

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper and saute until tender, about 4-5 minutes.
2. Place naan on two baking sheets (2 naan for each sheet). Spoon pesto over each piece and spread out evenly. Top with onion mixture, sliced tomatoes, mozzarella and parmesan. Finish off with crumbled goat cheese.
3. Bake pizzas for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted and naan is crispy.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper and saute until tender, about 4-5 minutes. Place naan on two baking sheets (2 naan for each sheet). Spoon pesto over each piece and spread out evenly.

Top with onion mixture, sliced tomatoes, mozzarella and parmesan. Finish off with crumbled goat cheese.

Bake pizzas for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted and naan is crispy.