Roasted Broccoli Pesto Pizza
Man, do I really love pizza. Especially after marrying the world’s #1 pizza fan, it’s safe to say that we eat pizza at least once a week. At least. While I’m all for carryout from our local shop, more often that not it’s much more simple: whole-wheat crust from trader joe’s, marinara, vegetables and cheese (or not- depending on my mood). It always satisfies and it’s a perfect weeknight dinner.
BL gets the dough going, I chop the vegetables and in 15 minutes, our pizza is ready. Teamwork at it’s finest.
While our tried-and-true pie works most of the time, you know I need to change it up every now and then. I can’t not do it. BL is a creature of habit, I’m a creature of “what’s next!?” Especially when it comes to food. Life’s too short to eat the same thing over and over again. I need new, fun and exciting.
Which, is exactly what I said to him when I proposed that we put broccoli on the pizza. BL is down for broccoli in just about any form, but certainly not on his sacred pizza. Especially when I finished up that statement with and I want to add broccoli pesto, we decided that we better make two pies that night, just to be safe.
I really dig making pesto out of unexpected things: pumpkin seeds, mint, arugula, sun-dried tomatoes, walnuts, and now- broccoli. That’s the thing with pesto, it almost always works. To deepen the flavor of this broccoli pizza, I decided to roast the broccoli before adding it to the pesto. Since I knew I wanted to have roasted broccoli as a topping, it only made sense to do it for the pesto as well.
The flavor was super delicious, but all that roasting turned the broccoli pesto from vibrant to forest green. That kind of thing doesn’t really both me, but if it does for you- lightly steam the broccoli before adding it to the pesto instead of roasting.
Also! Not shown here, but the last time I made this pizza I added in sliced tomatoes to the toppings as well and wow, that version was also incredible. Actually, I don’t know which one I loved more. So- if you’ve got some tomatoes still lying around, put those on top as well.
If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag your Instagram photos with #delishknowledge . I absolutely love seeing your creations. Happy cooking!
Roasted Broccoli Pesto Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 large head broccoli, cut into florets (about 2 1/2 cups)
- 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
- 3 tablespoons parmesan cheese
- 1 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves
- 3/4 pound store-bought whole-wheat pizza dough, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup shredded fontina cheese
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin stripes
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Toss broccoli with 1 tablespoon olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, until roasted and slightly crispy.
- Remove the broccoli from the oven. Place 3/4 cup of the broccoli, basil, parmesan cheese, pinch of salt and pepper in the base of a food processor. Pulse until crumbled together.
- While the processor is running, drizzle in the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Set aside.
- Lightly sprinkle a work station and pizza stone with flour. Use a rolling pin and/or your hands to stretch the dough into a 12-inch circle. Place the dough on the stone. If using a baking sheet, lightly spray the sheet with cooking spray before placing the dough on.
- Spread the broccoli pesto over the dough, leaving a border for the crust.
- Scatter the fontina cheese, remaining roasted broccoli and bell pepper strips over the pizza.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown and cheese is bubbly.
- Slice, garnish with red pepper flakes, if desired and serve.