**How About Pizza This Evening?**
You can’t go wrong with a traditional pesto pizza. This straightforward vegetarian pizza recipe will certainly please a crowd. It presents an enticing mix of fresh, vibrant flavors from the basil pesto and tomatoes, generous amounts of cheesy mozzarella, and a crust that bubbles with a delightful chew.
This quick pesto pizza recipe comes together in no time with your food processor’s assistance. You can blend the dough and pesto in about 15 minutes—just clean the processor in between preparing the two elements. If you’re searching for an incredibly easy weeknight dinner that’s superior to take-out, opt for pre-made dough and pesto!
### Pesto Pizza Ingredients & Topping Alternatives
Here’s what you’ll need to create this pizza:
#### Pizza Dough
As always, I began with my preferred [Whole Wheat Pizza Dough Recipe](https://cookieandkate.com/videos/whole-wheat-pizza-dough-recipe/), which is a cinch to prepare. I suggest using white whole wheat flour, now known as [Golden Whole Wheat](https://www.target.com/p/king-arthur-flour-unbleached-white-whole-wheat-flour-5lbs/-/A-14776414?TCID=OGS&AFID=google&CPNG=Bakery%2BDeli&adgroup=261-6&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=19859758222&gbraid=0AAAAAD-5dfZ5KiSyTEvtLfwaFsFSfd3cA&gclid=Cj0KCQjwh5vFBhCyARIsAHBx2wwyysZwTp91cDZtsDI0mzqNpPgGHIpK93QKoIVB51EsXFKrOCOwSVYaAqVrEALw_wcB) by King Arthur, ensuring the whole wheat taste doesn’t overshadow the vibrant pesto. The recipe also works well with all-purpose flour.
**Switch it up:** Use any favorite pizza dough recipe that yields around one pound of dough. Store-bought pizza dough is fine—just adhere to the package’s instructions for letting it rise at room temperature, if needed.
#### Pesto
This recipe contains directions for crafting [basil pesto](https://cookieandkate.com/how-to-make-basil-pesto/) from scratch. It requires fresh basil, pine nuts, Parmesan, lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil.
**Switch it up:** You can replace pine nuts with other nuts, such as almonds, walnuts, pecans, or pepitas. Alternatively, [arugula](https://cookieandkate.com/arugula-pesto/) can be used instead of basil, which is typically more budget-friendly and widely available throughout the year.
#### Mozzarella Cheese
Mozzarella is ideal for pesto pizza. I adored the results with tiny fresh mozzarella balls, known as ciliegene, perfectly sized to scatter across your pizzas. You may also use larger mozzarella balls, torn into one-inch pieces. The key to achieving excellent pizzas with fresh, water-packed mozzarella balls is to gently pat the cheese dry before layering it on your pizza to prevent excess moisture.
**Switch it up:** You could also opt for grated part-skim mozzarella for tasty results. I slightly favored the texture of fresh mozzarella and enjoyed seeing the vibrant green pesto shine through.
#### Toppings
Tomatoes are the traditional choice. I recommend cherry tomatoes, which aren’t overly watery and are generally more flavorful year-round. They bake best on pizzas when halved lengthwise, which aids in even distribution across the pizzas and provides sufficient surface area to roast off any excess juice.
**Switch it up:** Feel free to skip the tomatoes entirely or substitute with other thinly sliced vegetables like bell pepper, marinated artichoke, olives, mushrooms, or zucchini or yellow squash ([cut like this](https://cookieandkate.com/arugula-almond-pesto-pizza/)). Well-drained, oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes would add additional flavor.
### What to Serve Alongside Pesto Pizza
If you’re centering your meal around pesto pizza as the main dish, you’re sure to please. Pesto pizza pairs well with numerous other fresh, herbed dishes. Here are my top recommendations categorized for your convenience.
### More Recipes Featuring Pesto
[Pesto](https://cookieandkate.com/how-to-make-basil-pesto/) is among my favorite sauces! Here are a few additional top [recipes with pesto](https://cookieandkate.com/tag/pesto/) on Cookie and Kate:
**Please share how your pesto pizza turns out in the comments.** I enjoy hearing from you.
### Pesto Pizza
This traditional pesto pizza recipe features basil pesto, mozzarella, and tomato! It’s simple to create from scratch. Pre-made components work effectively, too. Recipe yields two medium pizzas.
#### Dough and Toppings
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