Italian: Pesto Pizza

Recipe by Paul Young <info@cooking-with-paul.com>

(serves 3)

Ingredients:

• Flour (for dusting)
• 1 lb pizza dough (room temperature)
• 1 tablespoon cornmeal
• 7 slices mozzarella cheese (approx)
• ½ cup pesto 
• 6 garlic cloves, sliced
• 2 roma tomatoes (chopped)
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese (for dusting)
• Basil leaves for garnish (optional)
• Freshly ground black pepper or dried pepper flakes (optional)

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Defrost pizza dough in refrigerator; bring to room temperature about 2 hours before making the pie
3. Dust work surface with flour
4. Stretch pizza dough into a 10-inch pie
5. Sprinkle pizza stone with cornmeal and transfer pie onto stone*
6. Layer mozzarella cheese slices over pie
7. Spoon pesto on top of cheese, spread with basting brush
8. Spread garlic slices evenly over cheese
9. Sprinkle chopped tomatoes on top of the pesto
10. Bake for 12 minutes (or until bottom of dough is cooked)
11. Dust with grated cheese
12. Slice pie into 6 slices, garnish each slice with one fresh basil leaf (if desired)
13. Sprinkle with pepper (if desired)