Marinated artichoke hearts and pesto top this simple pizza. If you're pressed for time, use ready-made pizza crust such as Boboli, but we strongly recommend making your own.
Artichoke and Pesto Pizza
1/4 cup pesto (jarred or homemade)
1 (8- or 9-inch) pizza crust (prepared or homemade, recipe follows)
1 (6-ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Heat oven to 450 degrees.
Spread the pesto over the pizza crust. Scatter with artichoke hearts and pine nuts. Sprinkle evenly with mozzarella. Bake 7 to 10 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and crisp and the cheese is melted.
Makes 2 servings.
Recipe from Michael Austin of the Chicago Tribune
This recipe makes just enough crust for one pizza, ideal for two.
Individual Pizza Crust
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water, plus more as needed
1 tablespoon olive oil
In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt and yeast and mix well. Add the 1/2 cup water and the olive oil, stirring to form a dough. Dump all clumps and floury bits onto a lightly floured surface and knead everything into a homogeneous ball. Add more water, a drop or so at a time, as necessary.
Knead it for 1 to 2 minutes. Lightly oil the bowl used to mix the dough and return the dough to the bowl. Cover with a towel and let rise 1 to 2 hours, or until doubled.
Punch down, reshape into a ball and let rest for 20 minutes. Shape and top as desired.
Recipe adapted from smittenkitchen.com
Food on 08/31/2016