Pesto Pizza

If you like pesto and pizza, you will definitely like this pesto pizza!  I always have a batch of homemade pizza dough in the freezer and I just took it out the night before to defrost for dinner time the next day.  I also used my favorite pesto sauce from Costco.  This pesto pizza is quick and simple, especially if you already have the ingredients on hand.  You can also use a store bought pizza dough, I have heard that Trader Joe's has a good one but I haven't tried it yet.  Enjoy!

Pesto Pizza

Printable Recipe 

Ingredients

1 batch homemade pizza dough (recipe here)

2 – 3 tablespoons pesto sauce (I used Kirkland’s brand from Costco.)

10 slices fresh mozzarella

1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Grease baking sheet with 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Roll out dough and press down onto a greased baking sheet. 

Spoon pesto sauce onto rolled out pizza dough.

Lay mozzarella slices evenly on top.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, until edges of dough are crisp and cheese is melted.

Serves 4.

Avocado Caprese Pesto Salad

So far I've been lucky and I still have power during Hurricane Sandy.  It is definitely rainy and windy outside.  Also my office is closed today and tomorrow, so I haven't been to work since last Thursday!  Woohoo for a 5 day weekend!  I'm crossing my fingers so that my power stays on.  If you don't have power, maybe you can try this no cook avocado caprese salad recipe.  This avocado caprese pesto salad is fresh and flavorful.  It is a combination of some of my favorites - pesto sauce, caprese salad, and avocados.   I love how quick and easy this salad comes together too.  Feel free to make your own pesto sauce, I just made it more easy for me since my favorite store-bought pesto sauce is from Costco.   In case you didn't know, you can freeze pesto sauce.  I always portion out the large container of the pesto sauce to freeze in individual freezer bags.  Overall, this is a really healthy salad, you can even substitute the fresh mozzarella for low-fat or skim mozzarella. 

Avocado Caprese Pesto Salad

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 tablespoon pesto sauce (I used Kirkland’s brand from Costco.)

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

spring salad mix (enough to serve 2)

1 tomato, sliced into wedges

1 avocado, diced

½ cup fresh mozzarella, diced (I used 2 or 3 slices.)

Directions

In a small bowl, whisk together pesto with extra virgin olive oil to make a pesto dressing.

In a large bowl, combine salad mix, tomato, avocado and mozzarella. 

Drizzle in pesto dressing.

Mix together salad and pesto dressing.

Serves 2.