Pizza Today - January 2024 - 39

The versatile sauce can be used as topping, base, marinade, dressing
Story by Audrey Kelly
olive oil.
Regardless of what type you are making,
there are six components to any
pesto:
Greens and herbs: Basil is the most
common, but you can add or sub anything
from cilantro to arugula to kale and
even throw in some chives or mint. Of
course, you can add other vegetables and
fruits that aren't green such as tomatoes
and bell peppers.
Cheese: Traditionally aged, hard
cheeses like Parmigiano-Reggiano or
Grana Padano are used as they have a
sharp, salty flavor. But you can also use
other cheeses such as Cotija, Manchego
or aged Cheddar. If you want to do
a vegan version there are a lot of nut
cheeses out there or you can forgo the
cheese entirely and add in a squeeze of
lemon and an extra pinch of salt to balance
it out.
Nuts or seeds: There are so many
options when it comes to this component.
Pine nuts are delicious but they are
very pricey so a few other great options
are walnuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds,
sunflower seeds and pistachios. You can
enhance the flavor by toasting the nuts or
seeds before adding them to the pesto.
Oil: I'm a purest when it comes to oil
and almost always lean towards a good
quality extra virgin olive oil. That's not to
say there aren't other great oils out there
and each has its own use.
Garlic: This is a big one and a very
distinct flavor of pesto. That's not to say
you can't substitute it for another plant
in the Allium family. Spring garlic, leeks,
green onions and chives will make for an
interesting pesto depending on what you
pair it with.
Salt and other seasonings: As with
every other pizza or dish you make, the
correct salt is essential. If you're using a
saltier cheese, you won't need very much,
if any at all, but don't forget to taste the
finished product.
After you've made your ideal pesto
it's time to put it on a pizza. Pesto is
one of those toppings that go great with
both veggies and meat. You can add it
separately onto the pizza or use it as
a marinade for other toppings such as
chicken, pork, onions, kale or even a
white fish or shrimp. Here are a few ideas
to get you started
* Sun-dried tomato pesto with artichoke
hearts, feta, Kalamata olives
and red onion.
* Sunflower seed and lemon basil pesto
with roasted fennel, Italian sausage
and sweet onion.
* Arugula pesto with anchovies, thinly
sliced lemon and breadcrumbs
* Cilantro pumpkin seed pesto with
poblano chilies, Cotija, delicate
squash and leeks.
* Roasted red pepper pesto with eggplant,
zucchini and sweet onions.
* Pistachio pesto with mortadella and
burrata.
The application of pesto is an essential
part of the pizza - how and when you
add it to your pie. If you put it on prebake
you can either use it as the base of
the pizza, use a squeeze bottle or pastry
bag to drizzle it on or dollop it on top
with a spoon. If you use it as the sauce on
the base, I would recommend making the
pesto itself thinner by adding more oil or
even a bit of water so it's easier to spread.
The other option is to add the pesto post
bake, which is my current favorite way.
Putting the pesto on after it comes out of
the oven is visually more appealing as it
keeps its vibrant color. A squeeze bottle is
also quicker and for the most part you get
a better yield on the product.
Pesto is very versatile. Not only is it
fantastic on pizza but it can and should
be cross utilized throughout your menu.
Don't hesitate to make it into a side dish,
think burrata with pesto and toasted
focaccia. It can be thinned out into a
dressing mixed with seasonal veggies
or used as a pasta sauce option. You can
marinate chicken or beef in it for toppings
or something as simple as a dipping
sauce.
Try this pesto pizza recipe.
Go Fish
16 ounces dough ball
6 ounces shredded mozzarella
1 lemon (very thinly sliced)
4 ounces shaved and roasted Brussels
sprouts
10 white anchovies
4 ounces arugula pesto (see recipe
below)
Stretch dough ball into a 16-inch pizza.
Sprinkle shredded mozzarella on top of
dough.
Place sliced lemon and anchovies on top of
mozzarella
Bake at 625 F for about 8 minutes or until
crust becomes golden brown.
Take out of the oven and drizzle on Arugula
pesto.
Eat and enjoy!
Arugula Pesto
4 ounces (about 3 cups) fresh arugula
1 ounce (about 1 cup) fresh basil
5 cloves of garlic (peeled)
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup grated Parmesan
In a food processor, combine arugula, basil,
garlic, sunflower seeds and Parmesan.
Blend until combined.
Continue to blend on the lowest setting and
drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil.
AUDREY KELLY owns Audrey Jane's
Pizza Garage in Boulder, Colorado.
JANUARY 2024 / PIZZATODAY.COM / 39
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