Submitted by Erin
Preheat Pizza Stone in 400° oven. Roll out prepared pizza dough and place on preheated pizza stone. Top pizza dough with the following ingredients in order:
1) Pesto (LIBERALLY spread pesto over the pizza, so you can’t see the dough through it, and up on top the edges so the crusts will have pesto on them as well.)
2) Feta cheese (about 4 oz)
3) Red onion slivers (about 1/3 onion -I like lots of red onion and tomatoes)
4) Chicken pieces (about 1 1/2 Grilled Lemon marinated breasts, diced and cooked)
5) Tomato slices (1-2 tomatoes, bite-sized slices)
6) Mozzarella cheese (to your liking)
7) Pine nuts (sprinkle over top)
Bake in 400° oven for 18-20 minutes.
This recipe is from the Barefoot Contessa – she is a professional chef who has great cookbooks. I make multiple batches of pesto during the summer with basil from my garden. I use it for lots of recipes, and then the remaining pesto I freeze to use later in the winter and spring. I freeze it in icecube trays and then empty the frozen pesto cubes into freezer bags.
I love this recipe. I think it has a tendency to be too oily, though, so I usually only add 1 1/4 c. olive oil. Test it out and see what you prefer.
¼ c. walnuts
¼ c. pinenuts
3 T. diced garlic (9 cloves)
5 c. fresh basil leaves, packed
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ c. good olive oil
1 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese
Place the walnuts, pignolis, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for 30 seconds. Add the basil leaves, salt, and pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is finely pureed. Add the parmesan and puree for a minute. Serve, or store the pesto in the refrigerator or freezer with a thin film of olive oil on top. Makes 4 cups.
I’ve posted this pizza dough before, but I’ll put it here again for convenience. This Pesto Chicken Pizza is much better on a white pizza crust than a whole wheat pizza crust. Save the whole wheat for a tomato based sauce; the flavors in this pizza are best complimented with a white dough.
1 tsp sugar
1/4 oz package active dry yeast
3 Tbsp oil (olive oil or vegetable)
2 ½ c flour
1 tsp saltPut warm water in bowl. Stir in sugar and yeast and let proof for 1o minutes. Stir in rest
of ingredients. Mix until a ball, knead 10 minutes. Put additional oil in bowl and let rise in oil bowl for 1 ½ hours.
Lemon Grilled Chicken
Melanie introduced me to this recipe. It’s already been posted on this blog. It’s very very versatile and DELICIOUS. Use it on pizza, in salads, or serve it straight from the grill.Juice of one lemon (~3 Tb lemon juice)
3 Tb oil
1 tsp minced garlic (~ 2 medium-large cloves)
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
½ tsp oregano
1 lb chicken breasts
Marinate chicken overnight. If I’m using this for a pizza or salad, I dice the raw chicken and marinate it that way. If it’s diced it has more surface area to marinate and then you can get away with only marinating it for 8 or so hours. You can grill this indoors or outdoors, or you may use a skillet.
I LOVE, love, LOVE this recipe! I made it for visitors tonight and they raved about it, too. Thanks so much. (The chicken marinade makes this recipe!)
I LOVE this recipe – it is, by far, my favorite pizza recipe. Tonight, I used your chopped pizza recipe idea only with the ingredients from this recipe. It was great and easy. Thanks so much!
Okay. Erin. You. Are. Fan. Tastic. Wow. I made this pizza a couple of nights ago, and I've never seen my husband react in such a way. He took his cell phone out and took a picture of it. Then he tasted it. Then he wouldn't stop praising me for it. Then he took the leftovers to work. Then everyone there wanted some. Then they tasted it, and he had to guard it to finish it. HOLY COW. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS GREAT RECIPE! It will now be a staple in our house, for sure!
I just discovered your site today and now I am am fairly drooling as I read through all of your excellent recipes!! I had a similar type pizza at a restaurant in D.C. a couple of years ago made with shrimp instead of chicken. I loved it!! I too freeze pesto for the winter months and am going to give your chicken version of this a try tonight. Thank you :)!!
I can see why this would be your favourite:D
This is just a fabulous pizza recipe. I love it! Mom S.
This is one of my favorite pizza recipes. Thanks for sharing Erin!!!
This pizza looks wonderful! I’ll have to get brave and try to make it soon.
Hi, I am Lindsay Burton’s sister in law. I made this pizza last night. It was delicious. Loved it! I love your blog, thanks for sharing all of these yummy recipes.
I had to comment….we love making Pizza each week and this looks hands down like one of the best recipes…can’t wait to try it.
The pizza looks great! I will have to try feta next time.
Erin made this the first night I went to visit her. DELICIOUS! I am a big fan, sis.
We had this on Saturday night! This is one of my favorite recipes of all time.
LOVE this pizza!! It is so unique and flavorful! I must admit, I’ve never made my own pesto but I want to try that recipe!
WOW! I that pizza looks too good to eat! I love your blog!