A pesto pizza recipe replaces tomato sauce with basil pesto and tops the crust with fresh mozzarella before a hot bake. The result is green, garlicky and rich, with a flavor that stands apart from a classic red pie. Home cooks often make a pesto pizza recipe with store-bought dough and a 500°F oven, which bakes in two short stages.
What Sets a Pesto Pizza Apart
A pesto pizza recipe uses a green basil sauce as its base, so the flavor is garlicky, nutty and herbal instead of bright and acidic. Tomato sauce brings sweetness and tang. Basil pesto brings fresh herbs, hard cheese, pine nuts and olive oil, so the finished pie tastes richer and more savory.
Pesto is thicker and oilier than passata, so it spreads differently. Use a light hand and leave a small border of bare dough so the crust can rise. You still get the familiar structure of any pizza: a stretched dough base, a melting cheese layer and a fast, hot bake.
Many cooks choose this style for a meal that feels lighter than a meat-heavy pie. Roasted cherry tomatoes add sweetness and a chewy texture, so the pizza still feels complete without extra sauce.
Think of the pesto as the sauce and the cheese as the body of the pizza, much like the layers in a margherita pizza recipe. A pesto pizza recipe works best when each layer stays thin enough that the crust still shows through the toppings.
Ingredients for This Pesto Pizza Recipe
You need one pound of store-bought pizza dough, about 4 ounces of fresh mozzarella, roasted cherry tomatoes and a batch of basil pesto. Each component has a simple job, and the amounts below follow the Love and Lemons pesto pizza version of this pesto pizza recipe.
| Component | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Store-bought pizza dough | 1 pound | Rest at room temperature for 1 hour |
| Fresh mozzarella | 4 oz, torn | Main cheese, added before baking |
| Basil pesto | Olive oil: 1/4 cup or 1/2 cup | More oil gives a looser spread |
| Roasted cherry tomatoes | Not stated | Roast a day or two ahead |
| Parmigiano Reggiano | Optional | Grate over the pizza after baking |
The pesto oil amount is the main choice you make. Love and Lemons notes that the original recipe uses 1/4 cup of olive oil, while the author prefers 1/2 cup for a looser spread that is easier to dot across the dough. Start with the smaller amount if you want a thicker topping.
Prepare the mozzarella before it goes on the crust. Fresh mozzarella holds a lot of water, and that moisture can leave a damp spot in the middle of the pie. Pat the torn pieces dry with a paper towel before topping to remove surface moisture. Skipping this step is one of the quickest ways to ruin an otherwise good pesto pizza recipe.
How to Make Basil Pesto for Your Pizza
Basil pesto for pizza uses 50 g of basil, two small garlic cloves, 70 g of Parmigiano Reggiano, 30 g of Pecorino Romano, 30 g of pine nuts and extra-virgin olive oil. Make the pesto before you shape the dough so it is ready when the oven is.
- Air-dry the washed basil leaves so the pesto does not turn watery.
- Process the basil, garlic, both cheeses, pine nuts and a drizzle of olive oil into a paste in a food processor, blender or mortar.
- Add more oil and salt gradually until the pesto is smooth and spreads easily.
Gozney’s pesto pizza recipe gives these exact amounts and suggests keeping the finished pesto in an airtight jar. Stop adding oil once the paste spreads smoothly without running off a spoon.
Making the pesto a day ahead saves time on baking night. Love and Lemons suggests preparing the pesto and roasting the tomatoes up to two days in advance, so the final assembly takes only a few minutes.
Pine nuts are the nut in the Gozney recipe, so swapping them changes the flavor, and the amounts here are not tested for other nuts. If you want a simpler base for the same pizza, our white pizza recipe skips pesto and uses a garlic and cheese base.
How to Bake Your Pesto Pizza Recipe at Home
Preheat your oven to 500°F, par-bake the crust for 5 minutes, then add pesto, mozzarella and tomatoes and bake 6 to 8 minutes more. This timing follows the home-oven method from Love and Lemons, and the exact time depends on your dough thickness.
- Place your pizza stone or steel in the oven and preheat the oven to 500°F.
- Par-bake the stretched crust for 5 minutes.
- Spread the pesto thinly, then add torn mozzarella and roasted cherry tomatoes.
- Bake 6 to 8 minutes, until the crust is browned and the cheese has melted.
- Add fresh basil and grated Parmigiano Reggiano after baking.
If you use a stone or steel, let it heat with the oven so the base cooks quickly. For a wider look at heat, see how hot a pizza oven gets in our pizza oven heat guide, and the shaping steps in how to make pizza at home.
The oven should be fully hot before the dough goes on. A hot base cooks quickly, which keeps the pesto fresh-tasting and the mozzarella soft rather than dry. Plan this step first, because a pesto pizza recipe depends on heat more than on any single ingredient.
Gozney bakes its pesto pizza recipe at 840°F, or 450°C, until done, and gives no bake time. That heat suits a dedicated pizza oven. In a standard home oven, stay near 500°F and check the crust early, because the cheese and pesto can darken faster than the dough. A thin crust pizza dough recipe pairs well with this style of bake.
Common Mistakes to Avoid With Pesto Pizza
The most common mistake with any pesto pizza recipe is spreading too much pesto, which weighs down the center and can leave a soggy middle. Thin layers let the crust cook through while the cheese still melts evenly.
- Spreading pesto too thick, which pools oil on the crust.
- Skipping the dough rest, so the base shrinks back when stretched.
- Adding wet tomatoes without patting them dry first.
- Adding fresh basil before baking, where it darkens quickly.
Avoid piling extra cheese on top of the pesto as well. Too much cheese weighs down the center and can make the slice greasy. These tips apply to a thin, stretched crust. A thick deep-dish base needs a longer bake, so the times in this guide do not carry over to that style. If you want a pizza that is cheese-led by design, the quattro formaggi pizza recipe builds the topping from four cheeses.
How Long Pesto Keeps and How to Store It
Pesto keeps for up to 1 week in an airtight jar in the fridge, or 2 to 3 months in the freezer, according to Gozney. Storage guidance varies between sources, so check your pesto before use and discard it if it smells or looks off.
A thin layer of olive oil over the surface before sealing the jar is a common habit that limits contact with air. Stir the oil back in before you use it.
For a weeknight pesto pizza recipe, freeze pesto in small portions, such as in an ice cube tray. Thaw one portion in the fridge overnight, then bring it to room temperature for a few minutes before spreading.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a pesto pizza take to bake?
For this pesto pizza recipe, bake the topped pizza for about 6 to 8 minutes in a 500°F oven, after a 5 minute par-bake of the crust. Check the crust color, since oven strength and dough thickness change the time.
Can you use store-bought pesto?
Yes, store-bought pesto works as a shortcut in this pesto pizza recipe on a busy night. Check the label for oil and salt levels, since they vary between brands. Spread it thinly and taste the result before adding extra salt to the toppings.
How long does pesto last in the fridge?
Pesto keeps for up to 1 week in the fridge when stored in an airtight jar, according to Gozney. A thin layer of olive oil over the top before sealing helps limit browning on the surface.
Can pesto pizza be frozen?
You can freeze the pesto for 2 to 3 months in an airtight container. Freezing a finished pizza is less certain, because the crust can soften after thawing, so bake the pizza fresh when you can.
What cheese goes on a pesto pizza?
Fresh mozzarella is the main cheese, torn and added before baking so it melts into the crust. Grated Parmigiano Reggiano goes on after baking, which keeps its sharp, salty flavor on top.
If speed matters most, buy store-bought dough and a jar of pesto, then focus on a hot oven and a thin layer of toppings. If you want the freshest flavor, make the pesto a day ahead and roast the tomatoes the same morning as your bake. Use this pesto pizza recipe as a base, then adjust the oil, cheese and tomatoes to your taste.