The week I got my first baking stone, I made pizza – twice. I broke it in with a sweet and savory corn, caramelized onion and bacon pizza. It emerged from the oven like a dream and my husband and I devoured it immediately. I had to make another, ASAP.
So a few days later I foraged in the fridge for topping options and came up with this cilantro pesto pizza with heirloom tomatoes, walnuts and cheese. The finished pie was pleasantly piquant and just a tad nutty.
The beauty of this pesto pizza, at least in my mind, is that as it bakes, the tomatoes soften slightly while the walnuts crisp up. So when you bite into a slice, you’re hit with different flavors and textures. With a short list of ingredients, it’s simplicity at its best.
- 1½ cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (see notes)
- 1½ teaspoons sugar
- 1⅛ teaspoons sea salt
- ¾ teaspoon active dry yeast
- ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon lukewarm water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 2 cups fresh cilantro
- ¼ cup walnuts
- ¼ cup grated Asiago cheese
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons grated Asiago cheese
- ½ teaspoon dried chili flakes
- sea salt
- 1 medium heirloom tomato, thinly sliced and seeded
- 2 tablespoons walnuts, roughly chopped
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt and yeast.
- Add water and olive oil to the flour mixture, stirring everything until it comes together to form a shaggy ball. Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap (or a pizza pan) and put it in a warm place to rise for 2 hours.
- After 2 hours, the dough can be used right away or stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- In a food processor or blender, purée all the pesto ingredients. Add 1 tablespoon water to loosen, if desired.
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Stretch out dough to the desired shape and thickness and place on a pizza stone or baking sheet. If the dough is resisting, let it sit for about 5 minutes.
- Spread 3-4 tablespoons cilantro pesto over the dough in an even layer all the way to the edges. Sprinkle with Asiago cheese, chili flakes and a pinch of salt.
- Top with tomato, walnuts and mozzarella cheese.
- Bake for about 18 minutes or until crust is golden and cheese is bubbling.
I really like the idea of walnuts on the pizza. This has a very high likelyhood of being made by me in secret and eaten in the same manner.