Monday Night Caprese Pizza

So this week's meal theme is PIZZA!  The first one on my list is Caprese Pizza.  If you know me, you know I actually don't like pizza, but this week is going to be all about pizzas that aren't what we expect.  Check out this first recipe to know what I mean:




Caprese Pizza


Ingredients


-basil, lots.
-tomatoes (I know they will be better in the summer, but I was craving)
-pre-made pizza dough or crust (I used a whole wheat pre-baked crust, cause I was especially lazy this week)
-mozzarella cheese (I used a bag of pre-shredded low-fat moz, but shredding it yourself or using fresh is better)
-parmesan! (I think this should be an ingredient in every meal you eat. No questions asked.)
-garlic (about 2 healthy sized cloves, more if you're not going on a date)
-pine nuts (optional, toast them first if you have them)
-olive oil (try the good kind, it's worth the financial investment)


Instructions


*first a note on my instructions philosophy: they are a GUIDE, alterations and additions are simply a sign of good cooking, so feel free!

1.  Make Pesto: If you are lucky enough to have a food processor, throw the basil leaves (as much as you can hold in one hand) , garlic, 1-2 tablespoons parmesan, 2-3 tablespoons olive oil, and 1-2 tablespoons pine nuts.  Because Hazel is allergic to nuts, we left out the pine nuts, and you can too (but they really make a good addition).  As for the olive oil: I say start with 2 in the food processor, and add as needed.  It should become a paste-like or a little thinner.  If you don't have a food processor, get out your favorite knife and start chopping.  Same ingredients, but do it by hand.


2. Top the Pizza: If you use pizza dough instead of a crust, it would be wise to spread the dough and bake for about 8-10 mins before cooking to make sure it doesn't get soggy.  Spread the pesto (liberally) all over the pizza dough (except the crust of course).  Slice the tomatoes thin and layer them on top of the pesto.  Cover the entire thing in moz and sprinkle with parmesan (lots of cheese!).  

3. Baking: Bake pizza at 450 degrees for 10-15 mins.  To make mine look beautiful, I turned the broiler on after 10 mins and watched till it the cheese started to brown on top.  I highly recommend this step!


4. Eat: biggest mistake we made was eating the pizza too fast.  Don't burn your mouth!