Grilled Chicken Pesto Pizza
This pizza features classic fresh basil pesto sauce. If you prefer a pesto made with other herbs, or even a sun-dried-tomato pesto, feel free to experiment.
Makes two 12-inch pizzas
INGREDIENTS
- ½ recipe California Thin Crust dough
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons cornmeal
- 2 cups Pesto Sauce
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 3 grilled boneless chicken breast halves, sliced crosswise
- ½ cup toasted pine nuts
- ¼ cup fresh basil ribbons
- 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup shredded Asiago cheese
Roll or press pizza dough into two thin 12-inch circles, slightly thicker at the edges than in the center. Spread 1 tablespoon olive oil over the bottom of two pizza pans or large quiche pans. Sprinkle cornmeal over the oil, 1 tablespoon on each pan.
Preheat oven to 400°. Place pizza pans in oven and prick in several places with a fork. Bake until crust is lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Remove from oven and spoon or brush 1 cup pesto sauce over each pizza.
Divide mozzarella evenly over each pizza, followed by chicken breast slices, pine nuts, and basil ribbons.
Combine shredded Parmesan and Asiago cheeses. Sprinkle evenly over the pizzas.
Return pizzas to the oven and bake until shredded cheese has melted and crusts darken slightly, about 5 to 7 minutes. Let pizzas rest briefly, then slice with a sharp knife or pizza wheel. If oven won't accommodate both pans easily, bake pizzas one at a time.
Fresh Sauces
Pesto and other sauces made with uncooked ingredients generally taste better and retain more of their original texture when just warmed or barely cooked. Baking pizza crusts “blind” or uncovered for a few minutes helps ensure a cooked crust without overcooking your fresh sauce.
