epicurious
Summer Squash and Arugula Pesto Pizza
Zucchini is one of the summer’s most abundant offerings; here it stars on a pesto pizza alongside ricotta-stuffed squash blossoms and a showering of mint.
👥 12 Servings👤 Brandon Gray📖 epicurious
🥘 Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you prepare them:
🍳 Cookware
- ●food processor
- ●bowl
- ●pan
- ●skillet
- ●oven
📝 Preparation Steps
1
Pesto
2
Process 2 cups (packed) arugula, ½ cup (packed) basil leaves, ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1 Tbsp. macadamia nuts or pine nuts, and ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a food processor until mostly smooth. Add ⅓ cup finely grated Pecorino Romano and pulse to combine.
(packed) arugula2 cups. macadamia nuts or pine nuts1 Tbsp
3
Assembly
4
Mix together ½ cup whole-milk fresh ricotta, 1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest, and ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a small bowl. Stuff 4 squash blossoms with half of ricotta mixture. Set remaining mixture aside.
(packed) arugula2 cups. finely grated lemon zest1 tsp
5
If using a conventional oven: Heat broiler. Heat 2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a 12" cast-iron skillet over medium. Using lightly oiled hands, flatten 1 ball All-Purpose Pizza Dough or 12 oz. store-bought pizza dough, room temperature and gently stretch over the backs of your hands to create a 12" round. Transfer to skillet, stretching to edges of pan if needed, and cook until bottom is golden brown, about ⏱️ 4 minutes. Spoon pesto onto center of dough and spread over crust, leaving a 1" border. Top with 1 small summer squash, thinly sliced, and squash blossoms; season with salt. Transfer skillet to oven and broil until crust is charred in spots, about ⏱️ 2 minutes.
(packed) arugula2 cups. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for hands (if using conventional oven)2 tspball All-Purpose Pizza Dough or 12 oz. store-bought pizza dough, room temperature1
6
If using a pizza oven: Preheat to high. Lightly flour your hands and a pizza peel. Working from the center outward, stretch out dough on peel to a 12" round. Spoon pesto onto center of dough and spread over crust, leaving a 1" border. Top with 1 small summer squash, thinly sliced, and squash blossoms; season with salt. Slide pizza into pizza oven and cook, rotating occasionally, until crust is charred in spots, 2–⏱️ 3 minutes.
7
Dollop reserved ricotta mixture over pizza. Scatter basil or mint leaves over and season with freshly ground black pepper.
(packed) arugula2 cupsBasil or mint leaves (for serving)Freshly ground black pepper
Reviews & Ratings
Share your thoughts and feedback about this recipe
Write a Review
Community Feedback
0 ReviewsLoading reviews...