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pesto pizza
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Pesto Pizza with Brussels, Arugula and Brie

This pizza is loaded with delicious greens, creamy cheese and a fluffy crust. Perfect for adult pizza night.
Prep Time2 hours
Cook Time15 minutes
Course: dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: pesto pizza
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 450kcal
Cost: $30

Equipment

  • baking sheet
  • large bowl
  • large spoon or spatula
  • Rolling Pin
  • sauce pot

Ingredients

Pizza dough

  • 3 cups all purpose flour plus more as needed
  • 2 tsp instant yeast
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 12 oz beer such as Budweiser
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

For the Pesto

  • 1½ cups basil leaves
  • 2 tbsp pine nuts
  • 1 lemon zest and juice
  • ⅓ grated Parmesan
  • ¼ olive oil
  • 1 pinch red pepper flakes

For the pizza toppings

  • 1 mozzarella ball sliced
  • 1 heirloom tomato sliced
  • 1 small wedge brie torn
  • 15 brussel sprouts quartered
  • 3 cups arugula
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp white vinegar
  • zest of an orange
  • ¼ cup honey
  • 1 pinch red pepper flakes

Instructions

Pizza dough

  • In a bowl, mix together the flour, instant yeast and salt. Then add the beer and olive oil. Stir together with a large spoon or spatula until the ingredients are combined. Make sure the dough isn't too sticky or gooey - if so, add more flour, adding only ¼ cup of flour at a time. You may need to add a whole cup extra if the dough is super wet.
  • Once complete, cover the bowl with foil or a towel and leave in a warm, dry place. Let the dough rise for at least 1-2 hours. If making a day in advance, you can store the dough in the fridge before going to bed.
  • When ready to make the pizza, preheat the oven to 450°. On a floured work surface, roll out the pizza dough with a floured rolling pin, spreading the dough wide enough to cover the entirety of a standard baking sheet (around 13x18). The crust will be a bit thin. Then transfer the dough to the baking sheet. It's okay if it tears, just reshape it with your fingers.

Pesto Sauce

  • If you are making homemade pesto, combine all the ingredients above in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Sprinkle in salt to taste if needed.

Pizza

  • Spread the pesto sauce on the raw pizza dough, leaving about a ½ inch border for the crust. Evenly spread out the Brussel sprouts on the pizza, placing them face up if possible. Next, add the tomato slices followed by the sliced mozzarella and brie. You can leave the rind on the brie or remove it if you prefer.
  • Bake in the oven for about 15-18 minutes, or until the edges of the pizza begin to look slightly brown and the cheese has some brown spots.
  • In a small sauce pot, heat the honey and red pepper flakes over high heat, and bring the honey to a boil for about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and add the white vinegar, apple cider vinegar and the orange zest. Stir together and then add the arugula to the pot. Stir to ensure that the arugula is coated.
  • Once the pizza has been removed from the oven, top it with the arugula mixture. Slice and enjoy!