Burst tomato pizza with kale almond pesto. The best pizza I’ve ever made. This pizza is made with a homemade whole wheat thin crust and topped with fresh pesto, a generous amount of cheese and sweet cherry tomatoes. It’s the perfect way to use your fresh summer produce.

This post is made in partnership with Paderno. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible.

I don’t think there’s anything better than homemade pizza with pesto. Especially when it’s kale almond pesto. To me, this is the best summer comfort food. It’s filled with seasonal ingredients and can easily be made in your own kitchen.

How can you make the best pizza at home?

A few tips for those of us who don’t own a stone oven: Use a pizza crisper or pizza stone. Those surfaces will lead to the best crispy crust. Also, cook your pizza using high temperatures. A high temperature will lead to the best result, a crisp, flavorful pizza crust with perfectly melted and golden cheese. It’s the closest thing to using a stone oven.

For this pizza, I used Paderno’s 14-Inch Professional Pizza Crisper, which is perforated and helps crisp the pizza dough evenly. Trust me, it makes a difference.

I also used Paderno’s Variable Speed Immersion Blender to make my kale almond pesto. The Mini Chopper attachment works like a mini food processor, which is perfect for making thick sauces.

I’ve been making pesto with this immersion blender almost weekly.

Some of my favorite ways to use pesto:

• Pizza, of course.
• Toss it with pasta and cheese for a simple, yet flavorful dish.
• Add pesto to roasted potatoes to make a pesto potato salad.
• Use it as a sauce in sandwiches or veggie burgers.

Pesto is versatile and adds fresh flavors to many dishes. Keep it in a closed jar in your fridge for up to 4 days and use it on everything, starting with this burst tomato pizza.

If you’d love to see Paderno’s small kitchen appliances, check out their website here. You can also find them on Instagram and Facebook (@padernokitchenware), as well as Twitter (@padernocookware). Follow along on social media #itsacookingthing.

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Burst Tomato Pizza with Kale Almond Pesto

This pizza is made with a homemade whole wheat thin crust and topped with fresh pesto, a generous amount of cheese and sweet cherry tomatoes. It’s the perfect way to use your fresh summer produce.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
• Basil leaves, for garnish

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water (not boiling)
• 1 cup whole wheat bread flour, spoon and leveled
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Kale Almond Pesto

• 1/2 cup kale, packed
• 1/2 cup basil leaves, packed
• 1/4 cup olive oil + 1 tablespoon
• 1/4 cup raw almonds, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 large garlic clove

Instructions

• Prepare the pizza dough: In a medium bowl, mix your active dry yeast with warm water. Stir and let sit for 10 minutes to let it foam. Add your flour and salt to the water and yeast. Mix together, then stir in the olive oil. Form a ball and let the dough rise for 45 minutes in the
  bowl, covered with a towel.
• Preheat the oven to 325°F.
• Prepare the pesto: Spread the chopped almonds on a baking sheet. Roast for 6 minutes at 325°F or until lightly golden and fragrant. Place the roasted almonds, kale, basil, olive oil, parmesan, salt and garlic in the mini chopper or mini food processor. Process until you get a
  thick pesto sauce.
• Increase the oven to 450°F. Lightly grease a pizza crisper with oil or line a baking sheet or pizza stone with parchment paper.
• Sprinkle a small amount of flour on a clean surface. Spread the pizza dough to form a 12” pizza. Transfer to the prepared sheet or pizza crisper.
• Spread ¼ cup of the prepared pesto on the pizza dough. Sprinkle with cheese and top with cherry tomatoes.
• Place the pizza in the oven and cook for 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden and the cherries have burst.
• Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Notes

This recipe makes approximately a 12” pizza. It makes 4 portions when served with a side salad.

You can skip a step and use a store-bought dough if desired.