Don’t order pizza tonight — you’re making homemade pizza! Plan to thaw the dough in advance and make the fresh pesto ahead of time (or grab a jar at the co-op) to make it even easier. Your cast iron skillet will give the crust a crispy bottom, and you can take it straight to the table, where it will keep the pizza warm as you eat.
Ingredients
- 1 16-ounce ball frozen pizza dough
- 1/2 cup fresh basil
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- 2 tablespoons shredded parmesan cheese
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups cauliflower, chopped
- 4 ounces asiago cheese, shredded, divided
- 8 cherry tomatoes, halved
Preparation
- To make the pesto: In a food processor bowl, combine the basil, garlic, pine nuts and parmesan and process to a paste. Add salt, scrape down, and with the machine running, drizzle in two tablespoons of olive oil. Scrape into a cup; makes about ¼ cup. (NOTE: If you don’t want to make homemade pesto, you can use ¼ cup prepared pesto instead.)
- Preheat the oven to 425 F. Lightly oil a 12-inch cast iron skillet or a pizza pan. Pat out the dough to make a 12-inch round in the pan. Let rise in a warm spot in the kitchen for about 20 minutes.
- While the pizza crust rises, place the cauliflower in a sheet pan, drizzle with a tablespoon of the olive oil, and roast in the oven for 15 minutes. When the cauliflower is tender, remove from oven and let cool slightly.
- Spread the pesto on the crust, then top with cauliflower and cheese. Place cherry tomato halves evenly on the pizza, cut side up.
- Bake for 20 minutes, until the top is golden and the bottom is crisp. Serve hot.
Nutritional Information
570 calories, 24 g. fat, 20 mg. cholesterol, 1230 mg. sodium, 64 g. carbohydrate, 5 g. fiber, 25 g. protein
