Description
A bold recipe for a spin on classic pesto pizza. Sweet, slightly crunchy caramelized onions and a bright vegan pesto make this pizza unforgettable.
Ingredients
Scale
For the onions:
- 2 medium yellow onions, sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- olive oil
For the pesto:
- 1/2 cup pine nuts
- 2 garlic cloves, unpeeled
- 4 cups lightly packed basil leaves (from two 4-oz boxes)
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 2–3 tablespoons lemon juice
To assemble:
- 2 pounds pizza dough*
- 2 large tomatoes, sliced
- 1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
- 1 1/2 cups grated or sliced fresh mozzarella cheese (optional)
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Make the caramelized onions: Place the onions, salt, and a bit of olive oil in a large skillet (cast iron works the best) over medium-high heat. Saute until they just start to brown, about 5 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium-low and continue to cook for another 60-90 minutes, stirring every 7-10 minutes.
- Make the pesto: Set a small skillet over medium-high heat and add the pine nuts and unpeeled garlic. Toss constantly until the pine nuts just start to brown. Transfer them to a food processor, but leave the garlic in the pan. Cook the garlic for about 10 minutes, turning every so often until some small black spots appear on the outside and the cloves feel soft.
- Add the basil to the food processor, along with the olive oil, nutritional yeast, sea salt, and lemon juice. Process until smooth. When the garlic is ready, peel the cloves, toss them in, and process until smooth. Add more salt or lemon juice to taste.
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Press or roll your dough into two 10″ rounds on parchment paper. Spread 1/3 of the pesto over the surface of each pizza and top with tomatoes, mushrooms, caramelized onions, and cheese. Sprinkle with some black pepper, if desired.
- Slide into the oven (preferably on a hot pizza or baking stone) with the parchment and bake 12-14 minutes, until nicely browned on the bottom and sides.
- Remove from the oven (use a pizza peel if you have one), let set for 5 minutes, slice, and eat!
Notes
I used readymade pizza dough from Trader Joe’s and let it sit out for an hour before rolling. Homemade is also fantastic.
- Prep Time: 40 mins
- Cook Time: 90 mins