Aside from the fact that the Pizza is one of the most popular foods that was given to the world by the Italians, it is also the most versatile when it comes to ingredients and today’s recipe is the Chicken Pesto Pizza.
Since pizza was made popular around the world, different countries and cities have made their own versions of pizza themselves. Just like the Chicken Pesto Pizza which is becoming popular.
Of course, there are still the standard ingredients for a pizza like the dough, cheese, and sauce. But aside from that, you can be as creative as you want to make the best pizza.
Chicken pesto pizza is a mix of Italian delicacies that will surely combine well with pizza and will be soon loved by everyone who will try it.
Pesto is usually known as a sauce for pasta. Pasta is also known as a recipe made popular by Italy. So with this recipe, you get to combine two of the best recipes in one plate.
This recipe leans towards the more healthy choice of pizza. It includes a lot of vegetables and it is pretty easy to do so you and the kids can do it during your free time.
With the ingredients that are used in chicken pesto pizza, you can make a delicious dinner or snack from the leftovers in dinner. You can also be creative with what you have and add some ingredients.
Another great thing about this recipe is that it can be made easily. You can buy pesto sauce from your local store or make your own for a more controlled flavor.
So if you are looking for a guide, then we have the perfect recipe for you so you can start cooking the best chicken pesto pizza recipe that you can.
Chicken Pesto Pizza Recipe (with pine nuts)
This is one variation where we put some nuts to make up for some protein. You can follow every step of this recipe or remove some ingredients that are not available in your area.
Not to worry, all the ingredients in this recipe are pretty accessible and you can buy most of it from the nearest store around you. So let’s get started!
Ingredients
The Dough
You can buy frozen dough on the market if you do not have the time to make your own pizza dough but it is always best to make it with fresh ingredients.
So if you have the time, we have a simple recipe for you.
– 6 cups all-purpose flour
– 2 cups warm water
– 3 teaspoons instant yeast
– 2 teaspoons salt
Procedure
Step 1. In a stand mixer, mix the water and the yeast. Make sure that it comes up with an even consistency and then let it rest for 2 to 3 minutes.
If you choose a more fried texture of the crust, you can add about a quarter of a cup of vegetable oil.
Step 2. In another bowl, mix the all-purpose flour and the salt. Use a spoon to mix them all together until you get a consistent mixture.
Step 3. Mix the flour into the yeast and water. Use a cup and add flour half of a cup at a time and make sure that you properly stir it every time you add the flour.
Continue adding the flour until you get a consistent mix and where the flour can be removed from the edges of the bowl with a spatula.
The consistency should be a little bit sticky. If the dough ends up sticking to your hand when you pick it up, you can add more flour until it does not stick too much.
Step 4. Grease the bowl and then flip the dough over to make sure that the air bubbles and other chemicals that the yeast will release cannot escape.
Step 5. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and then let it rise at room temperature for an hour. This will make the dough double its size.
Step 6. Get the dough and then place it on a well-floured surface. Then cut the big dough into three equal pieces.
Refrigerate the other two for future use or freeze them for longer shelf life.
The Pizza
– 1 ball of Dough
– 1/4 cup of pesto
– 1 tablespoon of olive oil
– 8 ounces of grated mozzarella cheese
– 1 tablespoon of grated parmesan cheese
– 1 cup of deboned grilled chicken
– 1 tablespoon of fresh basil leaves
– Red pepper flakes (optional)
– 2 tablespoons of pine nuts (optional)
Procedure
Step 1. Get the oven ready and let it preheat to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. You can use a parchment-lined pizza pan or a cast-iron skillet but we advise you to use a pizza stone.
If you have a pizza stone, the crust will come out better with a crispy outside and chewy on the inside. Whichever you choose, you should put it in the oven and preheat it as well.
In this recipe, we used a pizza pan.
Step 2. On a well-floured surface, stretch the ball of dough into a 14-inch circle. Get the pizza pan and then grease the surface.
Press the pizza dough on the pan and make sure that it is sealed meaning you should give it a good press so that the pizza dough lies flat on the pan.
You can also poke holes on the pizza dough using a fork to make sure that the bubbles do not form when it is cooking.
Step 3. Put the dough in the oven and let it harden by cooking it for 5 minutes. This will not totally cook the dough but it will get cooking ahead so it keeps up with the other ingredients.
Step 4. Spread the pesto on the dough as well as half of the mozzarella cheese. Put the chicken into the remaining pesto sauce to coat it with the flavor.
Step 5. Top the pizza with the rest of the mozzarella cheese and then sprinkle the pine nuts if you want a crispy texture to your pizza.
Step 6. Put the pizza in the oven and let it bake for at least 10 minutes. The time can vary from more or less than the ten-minute given time.
Just observe the crust. Once it turns golden brown and the cheese has totally melted, then you can remove the pizza out of the oven.
Step 7. Let the pizza cool down a little bit and then sprinkle the parmesan cheese and the basil leaves. If you want to, you can add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes.
Cut the pizza, serve, and enjoy!
Tips
If you want a homemade pesto sauce, then you can do that too. We have this video that you can follow. It also includes a recipe for the whole pizza-making process.
Change the Nuts
If you do not like pine nuts, then you can buy other kinds of nuts that you can replace with. You can also choose not to put any.
We just prefer putting nuts on the chicken pesto pizza to create more variations when it comes to texture. It also packs a lot of nutrition so there is nothing bad about it.
Vegetarian
If you are a vegetarian, then the chicken might be a little off. So you can remove that and then add other ingredients that you want and that will fit your diet.
The pesto flavor would still remain in the pizza and removing the chicken will not change the flavor that much.
Conclusion
Pizza as we have mentioned before is really great food. You can be as creative and versatile with it and add the available ingredients in your area.
When you want to make a healthy pizza, this recipe of a chicken pesto pizza is a great choice, the recipe is packed with nutrients and flavor.
With two of the most famous foods and flavors from Italy, you can add a surprise to your dinner or simple gatherings by cooking this recipe.
Just put the basic ingredients from the dough, the cheese, the sauce, and the chicken. From those ingredients, you can switch it up a little bit and add flavor from other ingredients.
This recipe is very easy and kids can practice with it too. Repetition and learning from mistakes is the key and in no time at all, you are going to perfect this recipe as well as other pizza recipes.
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