Everything Basil Pizza Food

BASIL PIZZA RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven and stone/sheet pan. Preheat the oven to 500°F, with a pizza stone on center rack. If you don't have a pizza stone, place a sheet pan on the rack a few minutes before you assemble the pizzas.
• Make the pesto. Add the basil, pine nuts, Parmesan and garlic to a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Blend until the basil is in tiny pieces. Then add the tomato paste, lemon juice, olive oil and pinch of sugar, and blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Here's How to Season to Taste.)
• Prepare the pizza crust. Either shape your pizza dough into approximately 12-inch rounds, or set out your pre-baked approximately 12-inch rounds, on a lightly floured work surface.
• Assemble the pizzas. Evenly divide the pesto among the two crusts, spreading it thinly. Then sprinkle each with equal amounts of the grated Mozzarella. Now divide the red onion slices between the two, and about half of the basil leaves.
• Bake. Transfer the pizzas to the stone or baking sheet and drizzle about ½ tablespoon of the olive oil along the edges of the crusts. Place in the preheated 500°F oven, and bake until the crust is golden along the edges, about 15 minutes. (For pre-baked crusts, heat just long enough to melt the cheese and heat it through.)
• Garnish, cut and serve. Once out of the oven, add the chili flakes (if desired), pine nuts, and the remaining fresh basil leaves. Then drizzle with the remaining olive oil, slice and serve.

GRILLED EVERYTHING PIZZA

Steps:

• Prepare the dough: Whisk 1 cup warm water (about 105 degrees F) and the sugar in a small bowl and sprinkle the yeast over top. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in the olive oil.
• Whisk the flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center, pour in the yeast mixture and stir to make a shaggy dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes, adding just enough flour to prevent it from sticking. Form into a ball, put in a large oiled bowl and turn to coat with the oil. Turn seam-side down, cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat a grill to medium high (if using a charcoal grill, bank the coals to one side) and grill the toppings (see below).
• Arrange the grilled vegetables in piles on a baking sheet, season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil. Add the remaining toppings to the baking sheet; place near the grill.
• Reduce the grill heat to medium low (on a charcoal grill, spread the coals into a single layer and let cool until they are covered in a light gray ash). Divide the dough in half and dust the dough and work surface with flour. Roll each piece into a 7-by-12-inch rectangle, about 1/8 inch thick. Brush an inverted baking sheet with olive oil and lay both crusts on it. Lift each piece by the corners and lay on the grill, oiled-side down; cook until the dough puffs and the underside is stiff and marked, about 5 minutes.
• Flip the dough with tongs, brush with olive oil, spread with the tomato sauce and top with mozzarella. Arrange the grilled vegetables and roasted peppers on top. Cover and cook until the cheese melts, about 5 more minutes.
• Transfer the pizzas to a cutting board. Top with the capicola, greens, basil, a drizzle of olive oil and salt.
• Tomato Sauce Grill 3 vine-ripened tomatoes, turning, until charred, 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, add 1 chopped garlic clove, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and salt and pepper. Cool, then crush into a sauce.
• Onion/fennel Cut 1 medium red onion or 1 small fennel bulb into 8 wedges. Toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill, turning, until soft, about 10 minutes; slice.
• Mushrooms Toss 8 ounces stemmed shiitake mushrooms with 3 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill, turning, until soft, about 2 minutes per side; cut in half.

PIZZA WITH FRESH TOMATOES AND BASIL

Steps:

• Position 1 oven rack in the center and the second rack on the bottom of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F. Sprinkle the cornmeal over 2 rimless baking sheets. Roll out each piece of Pizza Dough into a 10 to 11-inch-diameter round. Transfer 1 dough to each prepared baking sheet.
• Drizzle 2 teaspoons of oil over each Pizza Dough. Sprinkle the mozzarella over the Pizza Dough, dividing equaling and leaving a 1-inch border around each pizza. Arrange the tomato slices in a single layer over the cheese. Sprinkle with the Parmesan. Arrange basil leaves on top, drizzle with a little more olive oil and sprinkle garlic all over. Bake the pizzas until the crusts are crisp and brown on the bottom and the cheese is melted on top, about 15 minutes. Drizzle 1 teaspoon of oil over each pizza. Sprinkle with basil for garnish and salt. Cut the pizza into wedges and serve immediately.
• Mix the warm water and yeast in a small bowl to blend. Let stand until the yeast dissolves, about 5 minutes. Mix the flour and salt in a food processor to blend. Blend in the oil. With the machine running, add the yeast mixture and blend just until the dough forms. Turn the dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer the dough to a large oiled bowl and turn the dough to coat with the oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm draft-free area until the dough doubles in volume, about 1 hour. Punch the down dough and divide into 2 equal balls. (The dough can be used immediately or stored airtight in the refrigerator for 1 day.)

MUSHROOM, ONION AND BASIL PIZZA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Heat the oil in a skillet over a medium heat. Add the mushrooms and onions and cook until tender and most of the liquid evaporates, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and remove from the heat.
• Place the pizza crust on a baking sheet. Spread the sauce over the crust leaving a 1-inch border. Top with the mushroom mixture and sun-dried tomatoes. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Bake until the crust is crisp and the cheese is nicely melted, about 13 minutes. Sprinkle with basil, cut into 8 slices and serve.