Chicken Pesto Pizza

I saw this recipe on Annie's blog and immediately added it to the menu for the week. This pizza is fabulous. It was a different spin on pizza that I haven't made before and refreshing to taste something new!

Chicken Pesto Pizza
Adapted from Annie's Eats and Money Saving Mom (for dough)


Ingredients:

For the pesto:
1/4 cup pine nuts
3 medium garlic cloves, unpeeled
2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
7 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
**I just used jarred pesto from the store** (of course, once my basil starts growing, I can make my own!)

For the pizza:
1/2 batch perfect pizza crust dough (enough for 1 pizza), at room temperature **I used a different recipe since I didn't have enough time to wait for dough to rise - it can be found at Money Saving Mom)**
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Grilled chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces (about 1/2 of one chicken breast)
Cherry tomatoes, sliced into thirds
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

To make the pesto, toast the pine nuts in a small skillet over medium heat until just golden and fragrant, 4-5 minutes. Set aside. Add the garlic to the empty skillet and toast, shaking occasionally, until the cloves are fragrant and their color deepens slightly, about 7 minutes. Transfer the cloves to a cutting board; cool, peel and chop. Place the basil in a heavy-duty gallon-sized plastic bag. Pound the bag with a rolling pin until all the leaves are bruised. Combine the pine nuts, garlic, basil, olive oil and 1/2 tsp. salt in the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, stir in the Parmesan cheese, and adjust the salt to taste. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. (Or just use store bought, like I did)

To make the pizza, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface, then press onto the pizza stone. Spread a thin layer of pesto on the pizza crust using the back of a spoon. Sprinkle with a layer of shredded mozzarella cheese. Top with grilled chicken pieces and sliced cherry tomatoes. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste. Place in the oven and bake until the cheese is bubbling and the crust is lightly browned, about 12-15 minutes. Slice and serve immediately.

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