Can I get a moment of silence for pizza? 
If I were to make a bold, overarching statement assuming that I knew everything about everyone, it might sound like this: pizza is the most beloved food in the world. Here’s the evidence to support my claim. Pizza is built upon bread (though, it doesn’t have to be- more on that later), which is essentially the building block of human civilization. Pizza is fast, easy, and cheap. Also, PIZZA TASTES GOOD! People of various lifestyles and dietary needs all want pizza; there’s cauliflower crust for Paleo pizza, gluten-free dough for the celiacs, cheese-less for the vegans, and something for everyone in between. People pizza-fy everything from bagels to french fries, and there’s really no limit to what you can put sauce and cheese on and call it a pizza. 
I’ve already shared my favorite pizza dough recipe with you, and if you haven’t gotten around to making it yet you really should. There’s something so satisfying about making your own pizza and bread dough at home. I always make mine Thursday night, and it’s ready and waiting for me in the fridge when I get home from work on Friday. It tastes great, and also gives you major street cred, which is clearly an important factor. If you’re reading this at work and have the overwhelming desire to make a pizza for dinner tonight, go ahead and buy pre-made dough at the grocery store. I won’t come after you- promise! 
I may have subtly hinted on Sunday that you were going to want a batch of Spinach Walnut Asiago Pesto around, and I’m here to make good on that promise. You could also buy store-bought pesto in a pinch, but then I really might come after you, so let’s not push our luck here. If you’ve tried making pizza at home before you might have been disappointed by the less-than-perfectly-crispy crust; I used to be too, especially after spending years working at a pizza place where the stone-lined ovens were always at a scorching 500+ degrees. There’s plenty of products you could buy like a pizza stone, a baking steel, or backyard wood-fired oven (a lady can dream, right?). Some are cheaper than others, but really, I’m not looking to buy any of them (# teacher salary). All I do to ensure a golden, crispy crust every time is to par-bake the dough before I add the toppings. Doing this allows the dough to start to brown on the bottom without any added moisture or weight from the sauce and toppings. 
Other than the homemade dough and pesto, this pizza is made with two pantry staples: jarred roasted red peppers and frozen artichoke hearts. With the pizza dough and pesto already in the fridge, all I had to do was defrost the artichokes, slice the peppers, and shred some cheese for a simple dinner in under 30 minutes. The combination of whole wheat dough and vegetables made this a hearty, satisfying, filling meal. I wanted to eat another slice because it was so delicious, but I was legitimately full and satisfied after two. That’s the thing I love about eating whole, healthy, nutritious foods; they are filled with the nutrients your body needs to thrive, so you can feel good about eating as much as you’d like. I hope you’ll give this pizza a try, and let me know what you think! Leave me a comment below, or take a picture of it and tag me with #bakedgreens on Instagram so I can follow along with all your pizza adventures!
Spinach Pesto Pizza with Artichokes and Roasted Red Peppers
Ingredients
- 1/2 a batch of Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
- 1/4 cup Spinach Walnut Asiago Pesto*
- 1 cup artichoke hearts quartered**
- 1/2 cup roasted red peppers sliced**
- 1/2 cup shredded Asiago cheese
- a pinch of cornmeal + nonstick cooking spray
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, and move a rack to the lowest spot in your oven. Spray a sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray (or drizzle with olive oil), and sprinkle a big pinch of cornmeal over the oil. This will help keep the dough from sticking to the pan, and adds an extra crunchy texture to the bottom of the crust.
- 2. Using your hands or a rolling pin, roll out the pizza dough to your desired thickness. I usually go as thin as possible, about 1/4 inch. Transfer dough to the prepared pan, and put dough into the oven on the bottom rack. Cook for 6-10 minutes, or until just starting to brown on the bottom.
- 3. Remove par-baked dough from the oven, and spread pesto out to 1-inch from the edge. Then, add artichokes and roasted red peppers, and sprinkle on cheese.
- 4. Put pizza back into the oven on the bottom rack, and bake for 10 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbly. Allow pizza to cool for a minute or two, then slice and enjoy!
Notes
*This was about half the recipe for pesto. I spread leftover pesto onto sandwiches and swirled some into polenta.
**I buy frozen artichoke hearts from Trader Joe's. Just defrost the amount you need for the pizza. Alternately, jarred or canned artichoke hearts will work well here.
***I used jarred roasted red peppers. You can make your own by roasting a whole pepper in the oven at 450 until the skin is charred, then removing the skin.
One more slice, please!