Pesto Pizza with Prosciutto, Tomatoes, and Mozzarella

Are we sick of my obsession with pesto yet this summer? I hope your answer is no because today I am sharing Pesto Pizza with Prosciutto, Tomatoes, and Mozzarella. Plus I still have more pesto recipes coming at you in the next couple weeks!

So my family makes homemade pizza on the reg (slang for regular *eye roll*). Seriously almost weekly. You know how they say the best traditions come when you don’t even realize it, well Friday night pizzas have become our little family’s tradition without realizing it.

It started unassuming, just trying to figure out how to make the best pizzas at home, because you know practice makes perfect. And I figured you can’t make pizza more than once a week (I guess right?!?) so I began to start to make pizzas on Fridays.

I picked Fridays for a couple reasons. First what a great way to start the weekend! Second to clean out the fridge for the week by turing uneaten leftovers into pizza toppings.

{Just want you guys to know at this point in my writing process I stopped and googled ‘brick pizza oven DIY’ because isn’t that the dream?! To have your own pizza oven in the backyard!!}

Back to pizza. So because I do make pizza basically every week you’d think this blog would be full of pizza recipes right. Wrong. So I’m working on that. Eventually I want to write a detailed post on how to achieve the best homemade pizza but until then let’s concentrate on Pesto Pizza with prosciutto, tomatoes, and mozzarella.

For the Dough

Every great homemade pizza starts with a great pizza dough. I use my own Pizza Dough recipe that I shared almost 2 years ago (time flies). I use this recipe so often I actually have it memorized.

But you don’t have to use my recipe, you can get pizza dough or crust at the grocery store. Or use another recipe that suites you.

For this particular pizza I think it is a little better when the crust is a bit thinner. So I roll mine out with a rolling pin just a tad thinner than I would if I was making a traditional pizza.

The dough then gets transferred to a pizza stone. I love using a pizza stone for my homemade pizzas because it gets the bottom nice and crispy and the pizza cooks all the way through every time.

The Pesto Sauce

If you follow me regularly you’ve noticed this has been the summer of pesto! Including my favorite Sunflower Seed Basil Pesto. Feel free to use my recipe, your favorite pesto recipe, or store bought pesto. I’ve used all of these options and they all make a great pizza!

I will note I’ve only made this pizza with a green basil pesto. I haven’t been bold enough to try other flavors so I can’t say how a roasted red pepper pesto would taste. Although I’d imagine it would taste good.

The Toppings

Cheese. Everyone’s favorite part of pizza right!? For this pizza I actually go a tad light on the cheese because I don’t want it overpowering the rest of the flavors of the pizza.

As far as what kind of cheese to buy for making pizza go with a low moisture mozzarella block. Such as this one from Dragone. Slice up the cheese thin (about 1/3 of a 16oz block) into 9-10 pieces.

You’ll evenly distribute the cheese slices on the pizza and they will melt out to complete coverage. I do a ring of cheese around the outside (not to close to the edge or it will melt off) and a little ring of cheese in the center of the pizza.

Tomatoes. I like a good tomato for this pizza because the freshness of so critical against the salty cheese and prosciutto. Choose a fresh homegrown tomato or a heirloom tomato. Slice it thin and throw a couple of those slices on top.

Prosciutto. In my opinion prosciutto and pesto go together like peanut butter and jelly. But also as I mentioned before the saltiness of a crispy piece of prosciutto pairs so nicely with the fresh tomato and flavorful pesto.

And if you want a little extra some fresh basil leaves and grated parmesan or romano cheese are sprinkled on top are divine.

Cooking the pizza

Time to stick the pizza in the oven. I’ve found that 425º F for 14-16 minutes works just about perfect in my oven at home. Make sure the crust has a crispy bottom and the cheese is bubbling and starting to turn brown.

So there you have it your very own homemade Pesto Pizza with prosciutto, tomatoes, and mozzarella. You why not go and start your own pizza tradition!

TIPS & TRICKS:

• you don’t have to have a pizza stone to make homemade pizza but in my personal opinion if you want the best homemade pizza invest in a pizza stone

• I find building the pizza straight on the hot stone is far easier than trying to transfer a heavy pizza from a board to the hot stone, just be careful and try to work quickly to get the stone back into the oven

• using corn meal on your pizza stone or your pan will ensure the pizza won’t stick as it is cooking

• as with all homemade pizza, put on as little or as much* of the toppings as you like (*not so much that your pizza won’t cook)

Yield: 6 servings

Pesto Pizza with Prosciutto, Tomatoes, and Mozzarella Recipe

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Pesto Pizza with Prosciutto, Tomatoes, and Mozzarella has flavorful pesto, fresh tomatoes, melty cheese, and crisp prosciutto. Everyone will want a piece!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pizza dough for large pizza
• 6 ounces low moisture mozzarella cheese (usually found in a 16oz block), in 9-10 slices
• 3 tablespoons Pesto
• 2 slices prosciutto, coursely chopped
• 1 large tomato, sliced thin
• OPTIONAL: basil leaves, parmesean/romano cheese, and corn meal

Instructions

1. Add pizza stone (or pan) to a cold oven. Preheat oven to 425º F. 
2. Roll out dough to form a large pizza crust. Once the oven and stone are to temperature carefully remove from oven. Dust corn meal over top stone. Transfer pizza crust to the hot stone. 
3. Working quickly, spread the pesto evenly across the pizza crust. Add mozzarella slices evenly across the crust, each slice an inch or two apart being careful to not place the cheese to close to the edge (otherwise the cheese will melt off the pizza). Add tomato slices and prosciutto pieces to pizza. If you are using basil leaves and parmesean/romano cheese add those to the top.
4. Transfer stone and pizza back to the oven.
5. Bake 14-16 minutes until cheese is bubbling and starting to brown.
6. Slice and serve immediately.

Notes

Nutritional data is automated, final nutritional information will depend on ingredients used and any changes made.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1 slice
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 233Total Fat: 11gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 654mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 11g

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment below on the blog or share a photo with me tag @the_schmidty_wife! Can't wait to see what you made!

Peace & Love

Lauren, The Schmidty Wife

P.S. Looking for more pizza recipes like my Pesto Pizza with Prosciutto, Tomatoes, and Mozzarella? Check out my Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Pizza or my Loaded BBQ Chicken Pizza.

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