artichoke and arugula pizza with prosciutto

Ingredients

1 tablespoon cornmeal
pizza dough
2 tablespoon pesto
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
1 (9-ounce) package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and drained or 1 small can
2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups arugula leaves
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. Position oven rack to lowest setting. Preheat oven to 500° F.
2. Sprinkle pizza stone with cornmeal. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface and place on pizza stone. Spread the pesto evenly over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over pesto. Place pizza stone on the bottom oven rack; bake at 500° for 5 minutes. Remove pizza from oven.
3. Coarsely chop artichokes. Arrange artichokes on pizza; top with sliced prosciutto. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Return pizza to the bottom oven rack; bake an additional 6 minutes or until crust is browned.
4. Place arugula in a bowl. Drizzle juice over arugula; toss gently. Top the pizza with arugula mixture. 

*Adapted from Cooking Light

chicken sausage, roasted red pepper, and artichoke pizza

Ingredients

1 pre-baked pizza crust
1 lb. chicken sausage (I like roasted red pepper, artichoke chicken sausage)
1/2 cup roasted red peppers, thinly sliced
1/2 cup canned artichokes, drained and halved
1/4 cup pesto, homemade is best
fresh mozzarella, sliced

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a nonstick skillet, cook the sausage. Do not brown, you will overcook the chicken sausage.
3. Spread pesto evenly on the crust.
4. Add sliced mozzarella, then roasted red peppers, and finally the artichokes.
5. Cook for about 10-15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the tips of the artichokes are slightly browned.

pesto portobello pizza

Ingredients

1 tsp. pine nuts, toasted
1 tbsp. olive oil
3 portobello mushroom caps, sliced
1/2 cup pesto, homemade is best
1 tomato, sliced or chopped
1-2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
pre-made pizza crust
handful of fresh basil leaves

Instructions

1. In a nonstick frying pan, toast your pine nuts then remove from pan.
2. Add olive oil to hot pan and saute the mushrooms until softened.
2. Begin to build your pizza: Spread a thin layer of pesto on crust. Sprinkle 1 cup of shredded cheese. Then layer mushrooms. Then layer tomatoes. Then top with a final cup of cheese. Sprinkle on pine nuts.
3. Cook until crust is golden brown and the cheese has melted in a 400 degree F oven, about 10 minutes.
4. When finished cooking, remove from oven and sprinkle with fresh basil leaves.

pesto

Ingredients

1/4 cups walnuts

1/4 cup pine nuts

9 cloves of garlic

5 cups fresh basil leaves, packed

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

1 1/2 cups olive oil

1 cup Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Place the walnuts, pine nuts, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for 30 seconds. Add the basil leaves, salt, and pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is finely pureed. Add the Parmesan and puree for a minute. Serve, or store the pesto in the refrigerator or freezer with a thin film of olive oil on top.

*Adapted from Ina Garten

penne with zucchini pesto

Ingredients

8 oz. whole wheat penne

olive oil
1 large or 2 medium sized zucchinis
1/4 tsp. salt

1 small vidalia onion, chopped finely

1/2 cup pesto
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Cook pasta following the directions on side of box, omitting any salt and fats.
2. Saute the zucchini in a bit of olive oil. Remove from pan when soft.
3. Saute the onions until golden brown.
4. Using a food processor, puree half of the cooked zucchini with 1/4 tsp. of salt. Then add your pesto to your pureed zucchini and process again until well incorporated.
5. Mix together pasta, zucchini pesto, and onions.
6. Top with freshly grated cheese.

*Adapted from Cooking Light

eggplant and goat cheese sandwiches

Ingredients

8 (1/2 inch-thick) eggplant slices
2 tsp. olive oil
1 large red bell pepper
4 slices ciabatta bread
2 tbsp. pesto
1 cup baby arugula
1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup goat cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat broiler.
2. Arrange eggplant slices in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet. Brush both sides of eggplant with 1 tsp. olive oil. Cut bell pepper in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membrane. Arrange bell pepper halves, skin sides up, on baking sheet with eggplant; flatten with hand.
2. Broil 4 minutes; turn eggplant over (do not turn bell pepper over). Broil an additional 4 minutes; remove eggplant from pan. Broil pepper an additional 7 minutes or until blackened.
3. Place bell pepper in a plastic bag; seal. Let stand for 15 minutes; peel and discard skin.
4. Broil bread slices for 2 minutes or until lightly browned, turning once.
5. Spread 1 tbsp. pesto on each of 2 bread slices. Layer each bread slice, pesto side up, with 2 eggplant slices, 1 bell pepper, and 2 eggplant slices.
6. Toss arugula with remaining 1 tsp. oil and black pepper; divide arugula mixture evenly between sandwiches. Spread 2 tbsp. goat cheese over each of 2 remaining bread slices; place cheese side down, on sandwiches.

*Adapted from Cooking Light

pesto pasta with mushrooms and peas

Ingredients

1/2 lb. of pasta
olive oil
3/4 cup walnuts, toasted
1 (8 oz) container of mushrooms
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup pesto
Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Cook pasta; drain and set aside.
2. Toast walnuts in a dry skillet. Finely chop once cooled.
2. Heat large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp. olive oil, swirl to coat pan. Saute mushrooms until softened. Reduce heat to low. Add pesto, peas, and walnuts; stir well. Once peas are heated through (only takes a couple of minutes), mix in pasta. Top with cheese.