Hungry for the best homemade pesto pizza? This easy veggie pizza calls for just five ingredients and no special equipment. It’s perfect for your next pizza night!
Whether you make your own Basil Sauce or buy store-bought pesto, this is one of the easiest pizza recipes. Try our homemade pizza dough recipe for a delicious crust — and don’t forget to check out our suggestions for what to serve with pizza!
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Making homemade pizza is a perfect way to enjoy a favorite food on a budget. And this pesto pizza recipe is one of the easiest! All you need are five ingredients: raw pizza dough, a jar of pesto, feta cheese, ripe tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese.
My first time making this pizza years ago came when a friend tipped me off to the fact that I could buy all the ingredients from Trader Joe. While that might not be the cheapest source of pizza toppings, this recipe continues to be a favorite way to enjoy homemade pizza. It’s seriously the best pizza when you’re pressed for time.
Why Make This
It’s delicious. The crispy crust soaks up a little olive oil from the thick pesto and the cheeses play off the acidity of the fresh tomatoes, making for the ultimate homemade pizza. Your Friday nights just got a lot better!
It’s easy. This is seriously an easy pizza with just five ingredients, many of which you can buy pre-made. It packs a gourmet punch without being fussy to make.
It’s cheaper than other options. Making homemade pizza costs so much less than the pizza place or even the grocery store. Save money and eat well when you DIY!
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy pesto pizza:
pizza crust – I typically make my own homemade pizza dough, but you can use a store-bought dough or even a prebaked pizza base. I have a whole wheat pizza dough recipe that you’re going to love.
pesto – Pesto is a great topping for your favorite pizza dough. You can use a homemade pesto sauce, but I find that the fresh basil pesto from Costco gives me the biggest bang for my buck. Don’t let it go to waste, though. Remember you can freeze pesto and we’ve got lots of pesto recipes to help you use it up.
cheese – I like to use mozzarella cheese, but you can also use Monterey Jack or even fresh mozzarella. For best results, shred your own cheese as I’m finding that more and more shredded cheese from the store contains additives that prevent it from melting.
feta cheese – Feta adds a little salt that offsets the different flavors on this pizza. You can use other creamy cheeses, like goat cheese or ricotta if you prefer or if that’s what you have on hand. Love feta on your pizza? Be sure to try our Easy Greek Pizza Recipe!
fresh tomato – I have used tomato slices, halved cherry tomatoes, and diced Roma tomatoes for this pesto pizza. I find that diced tomatoes give it the best texture. In a pinch, I’ll use sundried tomatoes that have been preserved in olive oil.
Variations
There are loads of ways to vary this pesto pizza. You can add fresh spinach, pine nuts, parmesan cheese, leftover rotisserie chicken, red pepper flakes, chopped red onion, sliced black olives, or roasted and chopped garlic clove. You can even top it with fresh basil leaves and freshly ground black pepper for a gourmet twist. We have a great Chicken Pesto Pizza recipe that features fresh avocado. Be sure to try that!
Step-by-Step Instructions
Making a homemade pesto pizza doesn’t take a lot of time, and the results are delicious! No need for a pizza stone.
Here’s how to make this:
- Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Spray a 12-inch pizza pan or screen with nonstick cooking spray. Alternatively, you can use a standard baking sheet, lined with parchment paper. Fit the pizza dough into the pan, stretching it into a 12-inch circle.
- Spread the fresh pesto sauce across the dough to cover. Sprinkle the cheeses over the top. Distribute the chopped tomato across the pizza.
- Bake the pizza for 8 to 9 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and the crust is crisp and golden brown. Remove to a cutting surface to slice. Serve immediately.
Enjoy homemade pesto pizza within 4 days of baking. You can freeze pizza for longer storage, or consider making a pizza freezer meal kit with these ingredients so that next time you make pizza, it’s even easier.
FAQs
Pesto is a great substitute for tomato sauce on a pizza. Top your own pizza dough or a store-bought pizza dough with pesto and then top with cheeses and chopped vegetables. Cooked chicken breasts are also a good touch as well as olives and tomatoes for a homemade chicken pesto pizza.
Pesto pizza sauce is just your standard pesto. You can use it straight from a jar or make your favorite pesto recipe.
More Ways to Use Pesto
Tell us what you think!
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Easy Pesto Pizza Recipe with Fresh Tomatoes & Feta
Ingredients
- 1 12-inch pizza dough
- ½ cup pesto
- 1 roma tomato, seeded and diced
- 8 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded (2 cups)
- 2 oz feta cheese crumbles (½ cup)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Spray a 12-inch pizza pan or screen with nonstick cooking spray. Fit the pizza dough into the pan, stretching to fit.1 12-inch pizza dough
- Spread the pesto sauce across the dough to cover. Sprinkle the cheeses over the top. Distribute the tomato chunks across the pizza.½ cup pesto, 1 roma tomato,, 8 oz mozzarella cheese,, 2 oz feta cheese crumbles
- Bake the pizza for 8 to 9 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and the crust is crisp. Remove to a cutting surface to slice. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published on June 9, 2010. It has been updated for content and clarity.
Susie's Homemade
Looks delicious!
rose
Please, please, please….do a video blog of you making pizza!!! I’ve made your homemade dough and it’s a hit in my home. Your crusts look so great that I’d love to see how you roll out your dough and make your pizza. Thanks!!
Lacy D
@rose, Yes, I’d love to see a vlog of you making a pizza too. I recently started making my own dough and am really struggling with rolling it out. Thanks!
Jessica Fisher
It’s on my list. Promise.
Wendy (The Local Cook)
that sounds so yummy! Can’t wait for home grown tomatoes.
Cynthia
Hazelnut Iced Coffee— Better than Starbucks!
Kristia@FamilyBalanceSheet
I am drooling…that pizza has all of my favorite ingredients.
Thanks for the meme!
Becky - Clean Mama
Thanks for hosting!
elizabeth
Super yum. My mouth is watering at 7:30 in the morning for pizza! 🙂 I make a similar pizza but I put olives and red onions on mine. And it has the creative name “Greek Pizza.” lol
During summer, every week we have a pizza day and a pasta salad day. I cut up extra topping on pizza day and those are the same ingredients that go into the pasta salad that week. So if it’s greek pizza, then it’s greek pasta. Also we do more traditional “italian” flavors like green peppers, pepperoni, etc. And a BBQ chicken pizza and pasta, and a mexican style too. I know it doesn’t give great variety but it is so easy!
Jessica Fisher
Variety is sometimes overrated. Enough is as good as a feast. 😉
Samantha
Oooh…I miss Trader Joe’s pizza dough, and everything else Trader Joe’s. I think if I would have realized 5 years ago that the closest TJ’s was over 8 hours away, we never would have moved to Central Florida!
Jessica Fisher
My disappointment about Trader Joe’s now that we live close to one is that it is MUCH more expensive than it was before we moved. With popularity comes a higher price, I guess. 😉
Kristin
I may have to try this out on the grill. It’s too hot to turn on the oven, but I already have several partially baked crusts in the freezer!
Jessica Fisher
We have never done the grill. Is it really easy?
Kristin
@Jessica Fisher,
We always grill pizza in the summer. So easy! I do like to have partially baked crusts as I think they cook more evenly. Here’s how we do it : http://www.fiskerellibellies.com/2010/04/grilled-pizza.html
Angela
Yumm! I love feta and this pizza sounds great.
MommyTopics.com
I love this recipe swap! How fun! Thanks!
Amanda
I am anxiously awaiting the results of your frozen pizza dough adventure 😉 I have been making fresh dough…but would love to be able to freeze some.
The pesto pizza looks amazing.
Judy @ Frugal at Home
Thanks for hosting! 🙂
Danelle
This is one of my favorite pizzas too! I make it all the time for myself using a whole wheat pita for the crust. Yum!
FoodontheTable
The pizza looks delicious!
Kara @ Home With Purpose
Looks yummy…and simple! Going to have to try this one!
Suzanne
This will be so fun to follow this summer!
Liz@HoosierHomemade
Thanks so much for hosting another yummy URS!
~Liz
jenna Food WIth Kid Appeal
i would eat pesto, tomato, feta over meat and cheese any. day. of. the. week.
i’m sharing a new concoction i served my family, including MIL. Asian pasta with baby bok choy and chicken. She loved it, which is saying a lot, usually she doesn’t go for “health” food. and i’m proud of my picture, can’t stop staring at it. come check it out 🙂
Jessica Fisher
You always make me smile, Jenna. 🙂
Stacey
Hey! That pizza recipe is a Lazy Mom recipe!!!
Jessica Fisher
Yes, ma’am, it is. And if my freezer dough works out, oh my!