Pesto–Heirloom Tomato Pizza
- Preparing Time: -
- Total Time: -
- Served Person: Makes 2 (12–14-inch) pizzas
- salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 to 2 cloves garlic, crushed (optional)
- 1/2 to 1 cup firmly packed fresh basil leaves, or to taste
- juice of 1/2 lemon or 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice, or more to taste
- 1/2 cup walnut halves or shelled unsalted pistachios or 1/4 cup pine nuts (omit nuts if you’d like a less caloric pesto)
- 6 ounces baby spinach, arugula, watercress, or a combination
- whole-wheat pizza crust
- heirloom tomatoes, sliced, to taste (preferably a mix of yellow and red varieties)
- basil leaves, thinly sliced, for topping
- vegan parmesan-style cheese and fresh oregano for topping (optional)
PreparationMake the pesto: Combine the first five ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the mixture is evenly combined yet still coarse in texture. You may need to add the spinach in batches if your processor has a small or medium-size container. Stop the machine and season the mixture gently with salt and pepper; taste to see if you'd like to add more lemon juice, then pulse a few times to mix. Make the pizza: Bake pizza dough rounds in a preheated 425°F oven for 15 minutes, until crust is golden. Spread pizza crust with pesto, then load up with sliced heirloom tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and top with plenty of thinly sliced basil leaves. Some Vegan Parmesan-style cheese and fresh oregano leaves would add a nice touch, too. This can be served at room temperature. From Plant Power © 2014 by Nava Atlas. Reprinted with permission by HarperOne, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Buy the full book from HarperCollins or from Amazon.
PreparationMake the pesto: Combine the first five ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the mixture is evenly combined yet still coarse in texture. You may need to add the spinach in batches if your processor has a small or medium-size container. Stop the machine and season the mixture gently with salt and pepper; taste to see if you'd like to add more lemon juice, then pulse a few times to mix. Make the pizza: Bake pizza dough rounds in a preheated 425°F oven for 15 minutes, until crust is golden. Spread pizza crust with pesto, then load up with sliced heirloom tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and top with plenty of thinly sliced basil leaves. Some Vegan Parmesan-style cheese and fresh oregano leaves would add a nice touch, too. This can be served at room temperature. From Plant Power © 2014 by Nava Atlas. Reprinted with permission by HarperOne, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Buy the full book from HarperCollins or from Amazon.
