Basil Pesto Vegan Pizza

Ingredients
1/2 recipe Basic Vegan Pizza Dough
Fresh Vegan Basil Pesto (see below for recipe)
3 fresh tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons pine nuts
LunaOlivo Basil Olive oil, for brushing crust and drizzling on pizza
Vegan mozzarella cheese, shredded (optional)
Corn meal or flour, for dusting pizza peel and stone
Salt, to taste
Makes 8 slices
Preheat oven to 500°F (260°C) for at least 30 minutes before baking your pizza (the pizza stone should be on the lowest rack position in your oven). Dust your pizza peel with flour or corn meal, and set aside.
On a floured surface, roll out dough and shape. Fold dough over once or twice, place on prepared peel, and unfold. Spread pesto on dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Distribute tomatoes, garlic, pine nuts, and vegan shredded mozzarella (optional) over the pesto. Drizzle evenly with olive oil, and sprinkle on a little salt. Brush pesto-free rim with olive oil.
Carefully transfer your pizza from peel to pizza stone, and bake for 10 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.

Fresh Vegan Basil Pesto Recipe

Ingredients


2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1/2 cup LunaOlivo.com Basil olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts
3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Makes about 3/4 cup


Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.


Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Simple Pesto Tips

• To keep pesto from discolouring, drizzle over a thin film of olive oil.
• Pesto keeps well in the fridge for up to 2 to 3 weeks.
• If you do not own a food processor, pesto can easily be made using a pestle and mortar.
• Try using different herbs: parsley, mint, coriander or rocket would all make great pesto.
• You could add 1/2 cup of vegan parmesan for a denser mix.