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This Pesto Pizza combines freshly baked pizza dough slathered with pesto sauce and topped with roasted grape tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil. You are going to love this so much that you are going to have a hard time having one piece.

An uncut pesto pizza with roasted tomatoes fresh basil and mozzarella.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

See the complete list of ingredients on the recipe card below.

Pizza dough: Many grocery stores sell ready-made pizza dough. You can also use premade refrigerated pizza crust or make homemade pizza dough.
Basil pesto: Either homemade or store-bought.
Tomatoes: Grape, cherry, or my new favorite, raisin.
Pizza cheese: I like to use mozzarella, but you can use other Italian cheeses that melt well, such as Provolone, Provel, Parmesan, Romano, or Fontina. Avoid fresh mozzarella, as it contains a lot of moisture, which can make your pizza soggy.
Basil: Fresh basil leaves are best for flavor and aesthetics.

Slices of pesto pizza on a pizza baking stone.

How To Make Pesto Pizza

This is a summary version; for the complete list of ingredients and instructions, please refer to the recipe card below.

Remove the pizza dough from the fridge and place it in a bowl lightly brushed with olive oil. Cover and let it rest for about 2 hours.
Brush the tomato halves with olive oil and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Roast the tomatoes.
Pat out the pizza dough, dock it, and prebake for about 6-7 minutes.
Spread several tablespoons of pesto sauce over the pizza crust, top with the cheese, the roasted tomatoes, and a few small dollops of the pesto sauce.
Bake until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden brown.
Let the pizza rest for a few minutes before slicing.

Some of the steps for making pesto pizza. Remove the pizza dough from the fridge and place it in a bowl lightly brushed with olive oil. Cover and let it rest for about 2 hours
Brush the tomato halves with olive oil and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Roast the tomatoes.

Some of the steps for making pesto pizza. Pat out the pizza dough, dock it, and prebake for about 6-7 minutes. Spread several tablespoons of pesto sauce over the pizza crust, top with the cheese, the roasted tomatoes, and a few small dollops of the pesto sauce. Bake until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden brown.

Preparation Tips For Success

Let the pizza dough come to room temperature for 1-2 hours, as this relaxes the gluten. It makes the dough easier to pat out and stretch without snapping back. Ensure that it does not sit out for more than 4 hours for safety reasons.
Homemade pesto is very flavorful and easy to make. Combine fresh basil and toasted pine nuts in a food processor and pulse for 10 seconds. Add sautéed garlic and Parmesan cheese and pulse for 2-3 seconds. With the food processor running slowly, drizzle in the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
After patting out the pizza dough, poke it well with a table fork. This process is known as docking.
Let the pizza cool for 5-10 minutes before cutting so the ingredients do not slide, and you do not burn yourself. A really hot pizza can burn the roof of your mouth or your throat.

A slice of pesto pizza on a white single serving plate with the rest of the pizza in the background.

More Pizza Recipes

Pesto Pizza

This Pesto Pizza combines freshly baked pizza dough slathered with pesto sauce and topped with roasted grape tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil.

Print Pin Rate

Course: dinner, main meal pizza

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 25

Cook Time: 30

Dough Resting Time: 2

Total Time: 2 55

Servings: servings

Calories: 516kcal

Author: Beth Pierce

Ingredients

1 lb pizza dough
1 tablespoon cornmeal
¼ -½ cup pesto sauce
1½ cups grape tomatoes halved
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1½ cups shredded mozzarella
Fresh basil leaves for garnish

Instructions

Remove the pizza dough from the fridge and place it in a bowl lightly brushed with olive oil. Cover and let it rest for about 2 hours
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Preheat a 12-inch pizza stone in the oven.
Brush the tomato halves with olive oil and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Spread them in a single layer over a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Roast for 10-15 minutes.
Spread the cornmeal on a clean work surface. Pat out the pizza dough. Carefully move it to the preheated stone, dock it, and prebake for 6-7 minutes.
Spread ¼-½ cup of pesto sauce over the pizza crust, top with the cheese, the roasted tomatoes, and a few small dollops of the pesto sauce.
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden brown.
Let the pizza rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Garnish with fresh basil.

Notes

Store leftover slices in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheat in a dry skillet over medium-low heat or in an air fryer at 375° for 3-4 minutes.
Freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

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https://www.smalltownwoman.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Beth-1.pdf

Nutrition Disclaimer: All nutritional information shared on this site is an approximation. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information shared on this site should be used as a general guideline.