I’m going to be real honest with you here.
This blog should not be called I Say Nomato.
It should be called “Confessions of a Pizza Addict”. Because seriously, I’ve got a problem. Thanks, Raffaele Esposito for a lifetime of tight pants, because you basically created the most delicious and versatile food ever. You can travel the world and only eat pizza (maybe I should have called it “Around the World in 80 Pizzas”…)
Seriously, you want pizza with a gluten free crust? You got ‘er.
No cheese? Okay, no cheese!
If you, for some weird reason beyond the scope of all human comprehension, think that pineapple and ham on a pizza is not only acceptable, but delicious? Done and done. (I kid… maybe…)
No tomato sauce? Have I got you COVERED.
And when I say covered, I MEAN covered. First of all, if you haven’t been over to see my recipe for East Coast Garlic Fingers with Donair Sauce, you need to do it, STAT. Go on. I’ll wait right here.
Ready? Are you drooling yet?
Okay!
This Pesto pizza is a re-imagining of a gluten-free pizza at a local restaurant that no longer serves it. The day we sat down and they told us that it was no longer on the menu was the day I watched a little piece of Mr. Nomato’s heart shrivel up and die.
Since then, I’ve been trying to recreate it, and with the exception of the gluten-free crust (which you can absolutely substitute if you’ve got a good one! If not, I’m sure I can track a couple down for you!), I think this is pretty darn close!
First step, get your raw pizza dough from a blob…
…to something that looks like an actual pizza. (Quick aside here, I don’t know WHAT I did to this pizza dough, but it had a life of its own. Seriously, this thing rose like it was freaking ALIVE.)
I used the same recipe as the Garlic Fingers if you need a good pizza dough recipe! I’ll often make a couple batches at once and then freeze them for future pizza emergencies.
Slap on that pesto! Now, you can make your own (I’ll have to put a recipe up sometime!), but my current favourite commercial pesto is the Kirkland one from Costco. For serious, we bought some before we left home and brought it to the States with us, it’s THAT GOOD. It’s the only pesto I’ve ever bought pre-made that tasted even remotely like the real thing.
(Seriously, look at that freakin’ crust, it’s already rising and it hasn’t made it to the oven yet.)
For this I wanted a little more umami flavour, so I just quickly chopped up some spinach, mushrooms and onions and fried them a bit before adding them.
Big slabs o’ goat cheese… (Okay, caveat – I do NOT love goat cheese as much as Mr. Nomato does. I think it tastes too much like goat most days. But feta cheese works really well too!)
And some cooked chicken. This is a great pizza to use up leftovers from Roast Chicken!
Pop that baby in the oven and let it do its thing. I’m using a pizza stone, but just a plain old pizza pan will do. I find the stone helps give my pizza more of a ‘pizzeria’ taste and feel (PLUS LOOKS AMAZING IN PICTURES. SERIOUSLY. GAH. From now on I will be known as the blogger who makes all her food on a pizza stone.)
You’ll end up with that rich, golden crust…
Slightly chewy, slightly crusty…
The mix of the goat cheese and the pesto is complete heaven.
See, I told you I’ve got you covered!
- Pizza crust (Find my favourite recipe here!:http://halifaxbloggers.ca/isaynomato/2015/07/20/east-coast-garlic-fingers-with-donair-sauce/)
- 1 'log' goat cheese (~120g)
- 1 cup Pesto (I use Kirkland brand from Costco when I can't make my own!)
- 1 chicken breast , pre-cooked
- 5 button mushrooms , sliced
- 1 onion , sliced
- 2 cups loosely packed spinach
- OPTIONAL: Replace the goat cheese with feta for those who aren't fans. It's still very delicious! And if you're a vegetarian , you can leave off the chicken.
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Preheat your oven to 425°
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Spread your pizza dough out on a pizza pan or stone, making sure to create a lip for your crust.
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Spread the pesto evenly over the pizza.
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In a small frying pan, cook the mushrooms, onions and spinach in a little butter until soft and caramelized, and then spread those on the pizza.
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Thinly slice your goat cheese and space it out evenly over the pizza so every bite will have a slice!
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Cut the chicken into small, bite-sized pieces and evenly distribute over the pizza.
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Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the pizza crust is a nice, golden brown.
