Homemade Mediterranean Pizza with Pesto Sauce
The flavors of the Mediterranean come alive in this gourmet pizza. Pesto as the base lays the foundation for an amazing healthy-ish recipe. You'll love the sweet taste of sun-dried tomatoes, the brininess of kalamata olives, the tanginess of feta cheese, the creaminess of fresh mozzarella, and of course ground lamb.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes (not including dough rising)
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 1 pizza 1x
- Category: Pizza
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
For the Lamb Meatballs:
- 1/2 pound of Ground Lamb
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon Cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon Coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon Allspice
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
For the Pizza:
- One Ball of Pizza Dough (from this recipe)
- 1/2 cup Basil Pesto
- 1/2 pound Cooked Lamb Meatballs
- 1/3 cup Sundried Tomatoes (oil-packed), drained
- 1/3 cup Kalamata Olives, cut in half
- 4 ounces Fresh Mozzarella, cubed
- 4 ounces Feta Cheese, crumbled coarsely
- 1 cup Spinach Leaves, loosely packed
Instructions
For the Lamb Meatballs:
- Add the ground lamb with spices in a medium-size bowl. Mix until thoroughly combined.
- Roll into small balls about 3/4 of an inch around.
- Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and when hot add the olive oil. Place the lamb meatballs in the skillet giving space between them.
- Cook for about 4 minutes turning them a couple of times until they are browned.
- Remove from the pan and set aside for adding to the pizza.
For the Pizza:
- Preheat the oven to its hottest setting – 550°F is preferred (or as hot as your oven will go) and place a pizza stone in the oven to preheat as well.
- On a floured surface, flatten out the ball of dough. With a rolling pin, begin from the center and roll out in all directions until you have the desired thickness.
- Place the pizza dough on a piece of parchment paper.
- Spoon on the pesto sauce to the rolled-out dough and smear around leaving one inch of the outer crust free of sauce.
- Add the lamb meatballs, sundried tomatoes, olives, and cheeses.
- Remove the pizza stones from the oven. Carefully place the parchment paper with the pizza onto the stone.
- Baked in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until the crust and cheeses are both golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and add the spinach. Slice and serve.
Notes
- The crust should be crispy on the outside but chewy on the inside.
- When you're looking for pesto, search the ingredients to make sure it is made with olive oil and not canola or something else.
- Choose the pitted Kalamata olives in the "olive bins" and scoop them out instead of opening a jar. they have much more flavor that way.
- The sundried tomatoes are best when packed in oil, preferably olive oil. Avoid the dry-packed ones. Make sure and grab the julienne cut, it makes life so much easier since they're already chopped for you.
- The spinach is added after the pizza comes out of the oven. If you add it before it's cooked, the spinach will blacken and turn into pretty much nothingness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/3 of pizza
- Calories: 875
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 1663 mg
- Fat: 60 g
- Saturated Fat: 21 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 52 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 38 g
- Cholesterol: 64 mg
Find it online: https://lingeralittle.com/mediteranean-gourmet-pizza/