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Pesto Pizza with Fresh Mozzarella and Tomatoes

You need to try this absolutely amazing basil Pesto Pizza with Fresh Tomatoes. It is made with the 2 ingredient pizza dough and an easy fresh, homemade basil pesto recipe.

Drizzle some balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze for a Caprese Pizza version of this Pesto Pizza and savor every bite!

Pesto Pizza with Tomatoes and Mozzarella

2 Ingredient pizza dough

Yes, this gorgeous pizza you see here is made with the two ingredient pizza dough: plain Greek yogurt and self-rising flour.

This Greek yogurt pizza dough is super easy, and best of all, quick. No rising time, no messing around with activating yeast, none of that yeasty business.

Yes, the yogurt pizza dough does require about 4 minutes of kneading, but we can totally manage that in order to proudly say we made pizza from scratch, right?

To make 2 ingredient pizza dough, you mix 1 cup of plain unsweetened Greek yogurt with 1.5 cups of self-rising flour, stir together with a fork until it gets all clumpy, then knead it together into a smooth ball.

collage of how to make 2 ingredient pizza dough

Then let it sit while you prep the rest of the toppings.

slice of pesto pizza made with 2 ingredient pizza dough

Related recipe: Tomato Avocado Bruschetta

How to make self-rising flour for pizza dough

If you don't have self-rising flour on hand, have no fear! First, you can always order some here, or by using the "get ingredients" button in my recipe card. But you can also make some yourself!

This recipe needs 1.5 cups self-rising flour, so you can use 1.5 cups all purpose flour and add 1.5 teaspoons baking powder and ¾ teaspoons sea salt. Mix it together, and then combine with the Greek yogurt!

Related recipe: Prosciutto Pizza from Scratch

What kind of yogurt is best to use for pizza dough?

Well, obviously use plain and unsweetened Greek yogurt, not vanilla flavored or anything like that. You can use ANY kind of fat % you like - I've done this with fat-free all the way up to 4% milk fat Greek yogurt. They all work great. 

The more milk fat, the richer the dough tastes, obviously, but only slightly. If you're counting calories, use 0% fat Greek yogurt and roll the pizza out real thin. 🙂

slice of pesto pizza

Related recipe: Stuffed Pizza

Pesto pizza

Now onto the best part of the pizza: the pesto topping. I have a pesto recipe that I swear by, it's a lemon basil pesto that I use in my pesto crostini recipe. For this pizza, I sometimes skip the lemon because lemons are not a typical pizza ingredient.

But sometimes I like to get a little crazy and I go with the lemony pesto. 🙂

To make basil pesto, I first pulse fresh basil leaves, a garlic clove, pine nuts (if using) and chunks of Parmesan or Romano cheese in a small food processor (I have this Cuisinart one and I love it!).

You can also make pesto out of parsley, or use half parsley and half basil. Or try this foraged garlic mustard pesto. It all comes out good thanks to the garlic, Parmesan, and lemon juice! You can skip the pine nuts, if you're on a budget. If you do use pine nuts, store the rest of the bag in the fridge to make them last longer! You can get some here.

Then I add some salt, pepper, and drizzle in olive oil.

basil pesto in a food processor

I love using this olive oil for pesto, it has a nice flavor without being too overpowering, and it's not too expensive for when you need to use a lot of it.  

To make pesto pizza, I like to add some pesto to the pizza before it bakes and also save some for after it bakes. When basil pesto bakes, it loses some of its vibrant green color, so adding fresh pesto on top of pizza brings it back to life, and adds more garlicky basil pesto goodness to every bite.

pesto pizza with fresh mozzarella

If you have a couple of tablespoons of pesto left over after making this pizza, use it to make pesto butter! This stuff is soo good!

More summer recipes: Orzo Caprese Salad

Pesto pizza toppings

This pesto pizza has fresh mozzarella and fresh tomato slices on top. I also add a generous sprinkling of dried oregano (get some here), red pepper flakes (read my note on that below!), and freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese.

Of course, you can use any toppings you like for your pesto pizza, and you can absolutely just use good old shredded mozzarella cheese. No one is trying to out-do each other here, we're just here to enjoy a gorgeous basil pesto pizza, no matter what other toppings we choose to add. 

pesto pizza toppings on pizza dough

A note about adding red pepper flakes: Pesto is an oil-based sauce, which means that it really dissolves / absorbs the spicy flavor from red pepper flakes, and disperses that flavor all over the pizza. Unless you like things spicy, be cautious about adding red pepper flakes to this pizza because it will taste spicier than you imagine.

Sometimes I finish this basil pesto pizza with a generous drizzle of balsamic glaze, for a super easy Caprese pizza. I absolutely love this stuff and the sweet and savory flavor combination of the balsamic glaze and garlicky pesto. You can get some here.

caprese pizza with fresh tomatoes

Whatever you choose to put on your pesto pizza, I hope you get to make this! It is absolutely delicious, quick to make, and the Greek yogurt pizza dough is a fun "hack" to remember when you're short on time and want to make pizza from scratch. 

If you end up making this pizza, please take a picture and tag me on Instagram or Facebook. You can find me at @babaganoshblog on both. I love seeing your creations!

Looking for other easy pizza and flatbread recipes?

If you enjoyed this recipe, let me know with a comment and a star rating below. And don't forget to share it on Facebook and save it on Pinterest for later!

pesto pizza pinnable graphic

pesto pizza with fresh mozzarella
Print Recipe
4.85 from 13 votes

Pesto Pizza with Fresh Mozzarella and Tomatoes

An easy recipe for basil pesto pizza with fresh mozzarella and tomatoes. This pizza features the 2 ingredient pizza dough and easy basil pesto recipe.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Vegetarian
Cuisine: American, Italian
Diet: Vegetarian
Servings: 8 slices
Author: Kate

Ingredients

For the pizza
  • 1 cup plain unsweetened Greek yogurt - (fat-free or any milk fat %)
  • 1.5 cups self rising flour - plus 1-4 tablespoons more (see notes)
  • ½ cup pesto - divided (see recipe below)
  • 8 oz fresh mozzarella - thinly sliced
  • ½ cup freshly shredded Romano or Parmesan cheese - (or ¼ cup store-bought)
  • 2 plum tomatoes - thinly sliced
  • Olive oil spray
  • Optional: few pinches of Garlic powder, oregano, red pepper flakes
  • Optional: balsamic glaze
For the pesto
  • 1 cup fresh basil leaves - tightly packed (from 1 large bunch)
  • ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
  • ¼ cup toasted pine nuts - (optional)
  • 1 clove garlic
  • Zest of 1 lemon - (optional)
  • Juice of ½ lemon - (1 tablespoon, optional)
  • ¼ cup high quality extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper - to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425F. Line a large baking sheet (or 2 medium sheets) with parchment paper and spray with olive oil spray.
  • Make the dough: Combine 1 cup of Greek yogurt and 1.5 cups of self-rising flour in a medium bowl and mix with a spoon to make a rough crumbly dough. Then use your hands to knead it together until it is all combined into one smooth ball. Knead for 3-4 minutes, adding a tablespoon or two of flour if the dough is sticking to your hands a lot. Cover and let it rest while you prepare the rest of the toppings. It will not rise - that is okay.
    collage of how to make 2 ingredient pizza dough
  • Make the pesto: In a small food processor, pulse together the fresh basil, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts (if using), and garlic clove until everything is broken up into tiny pieces. Add the lemon juice and zest (if using), olive oil, salt, and pepper. Pulse a few times until well combined.
    ½ cup freshly shredded Romano or Parmesan cheese, 1 cup fresh basil leaves, ¼ cup toasted pine nuts, 1 clove garlic, Zest of 1 lemon, Juice of ½ lemon, ¼ cup high quality extra virgin olive oil, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, Freshly ground black pepper
    basil pesto in a food processor
  • Make the pizza: Roll out the pizza dough to the shape of your baking pan(s), dusting your rolling pin with flour if needed. For a neat looking crust, tuck the edges of the dough underneath and press down with your fingers to form the edge. Transfer the pizza dough to the baking sheet lined with greased parchment paper.
    pizza dough stretched out on a baking sheet
  • Top the pizza: Spread half the pesto over the dough, top with mozzarella, fresh tomato slices, shredded Parmesan cheese, and a few sprinkles of oregano, garlic powder, or red pepper flakes, if using.
    pesto pizza toppings on pizza dough
  • Bake the pizza: Place the pizza into the preheated oven and bake at 425F for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges of the pizza dough are a light golden color. Top with dollops of remaining fresh pesto. Allow to cool before slicing. Drizzle with balsamic glaze, if using.

Notes

In place of self-rising flour, you can use 1.5 cups regular all purpose flour (or white whole wheat flour) and add 1.5 teaspoons baking powder and ¾ teaspoons sea salt.
Depending on how thick your Greek yogurt is, you might need to add more flour. Start with 1.5 cups and add a tablespoon at a time if the dough feels too sticky when you mix it together. You'll also need some more flour for dusting the rolling pin and rolling surface.
1

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 275kcal (14%) | Carbohydrates: 21g (7%) | Protein: 14g (28%) | Fat: 15g (23%) | Saturated Fat: 5g (25%) | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 27mg (9%) | Sodium: 320mg (13%) | Fiber: 1g (4%) | Sugar: 2g (2%)

The nutritional information displayed is an estimate and not to be used as dietary or nutritional advice. Consult a nutritionist or dietician for nutritional info based on the exact ingredients you use.

Comments or questions about the recipe?
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Maureen | Orgasmic Chef

Wednesday 18th of February 2015

What an interesting crust! We had pizza for dinner but we had the garden variety crust made with 00 flour. Yours looks really good.

Kate

Wednesday 18th of February 2015

What's this garden variety crust with 00 flour?? So curious!

Liz

Tuesday 17th of February 2015

I'd never tire of this marvelous pizza! Such amazing flavors!

Kate

Wednesday 18th of February 2015

Thanks Liz!

Jenna

Tuesday 17th of February 2015

I never would have thought that greek yogurt would work in pizza dough. I'll have to try this sometime!

Kate

Wednesday 18th of February 2015

Totally works! And so easy too.

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