Serves 4
Store-bought pizza dough will last for several days in the refrigerator and actually becomes easier to work with after a good rest. Make the parsley pesto up to a week in advance (if you double the batch and freeze it, you’ll have it for next pizza night), or use commercial basil pesto.
PESTO
Related
| ½ | bunch parsley, stemmed |
| 2 | cloves garlic, roughly chopped |
| ¼ | cup toasted pine nuts |
| ½ | cup shredded Parmesan |
| Salt and pepper, to taste | |
| ¼ | cup olive oil |
1. In a food processor, combine the parsley, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Pulse until it forms a smooth paste.
2. With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil through the feed tube.
PIZZA
| Olive oil (for the pan) | |
| 1 | tablespoon olive oil |
| 1 | large onion, thinly sliced |
| 8 | ounces shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced |
| 8 | ounces crimini mushrooms |
| Flour (for sprinkling) | |
| 1 | pound store-bought pizza dough |
| ½ | cup shredded asiago cheese |
| ½ | cup cubed fontina cheese |
1. Set the oven at 500 degrees. Lightly oil a pizza pan or rimmed baking sheet.
2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the onion, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Add the shiitake and crimini mushrooms. Cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes or until the excess moisture in the mushrooms evaporates.
3. On a lightly floured counter, roll the pizza dough to a 16-inch circle (if you are using a 14-inch pizza pan) or into a rectangle if you’re using a baking sheet. Lift the dough onto the rolling pin and ease it into the pan or onto the sheet. Curl the edges to form a rim.
4. Spread the dough with pesto and the mushroom mixture. Sprinkle with the
asiago and fontina cheeses. Bake on the bottom rack of the oven for 10 minutes
or until the crust is golden and the cheese melts and browns. Cool slightly before
cutting into wedges.
Karoline Boehm Goodnick