06 | February | 2012 | The Smart Cookie Cook

Just reading the name, you know this pizza means business. “Fully Loaded Double Cheese Pesto Pizza” implies this pizza is packed with toppings, cheese, pesto, and all around awesomeness. Well, it’s no just an implication, my little cookies; it’s fact. This pizza is one-hundred percent loaded with all kinds of good stuff, equating to a symphony of flavors captured within one single slice of heaven (or multiple slices, because let’s be honest, you won’t be able to eat just one).

This is not your ho-hum tomato sauce and cheese pizza. Quite the contrary. It is so filled with flavor that it may knock your right out of your seat. You may want to buckle up before biting in.

Forget red sauce; this baby is slathered in fresh pesto. Pesto is flavorful all on its own thanks to the delicious handy work of basil, garlic, and more. Then we take this perfect pizza sauce and blanket it in two kinds of cheese. First and foremost is the fresh Mozzarella. This stuff is to die for. If you’ve only ever had plain shredded and you’ve yet to give fresh Mozz a try, then now is the time. Its ooey-gooey factor* is off the charts. This heavenly cheese alone would be fantastic, but we take it to the next level with tangy, salty Feta. Hello, flavor!

Cheese and sauce is one out of this world combo, but it’s not good enough for us, my little cookies; we’ve got to load this baby up. So, we employ the talents of juicy diced tomatoes, crisp black olives, and even crunchy walnuts. Nuts on pizza? Yes, you heard me right. Nuts are an awesome addition, not just to baked goods, but to savory dishes as well. They add fantastic crunch in every bite plus a great salty flavor. Between the crunch of the nuts, the crisp of the crust, and the melty, gooey cheese, we’ve got a beautiful rainbow of textures at work. This pizza hits all the right notes.

Why order delivery when you can bake up a pizza ten times as delicious in your own oven? No pizzeria or frozen pizza could achieve the flavor and freshness of this pie. It’s surprisingly quick and easy to make with just a few ingredients, making it a great weeknight meal. The next time you’re craving some crazy cheesy pizza, forget the traditional cheese and pepperoni and give this Fully Loaded Double Cheese Pesto Pizza a go instead.

A Few Tips Before You Get Cooking:

Watch my how-to video below to get tips, tricks, and see firsthand how easy this pizza is to make.
Make the pesto homemade if you really want to get fancy! However, I’ve found you can get some pretty delicious pesto from the grocery store too, so do what works for you.
The same goes for the crust. Make your own dough or buy it pre-made. The key is the cornmeal crusting on the bottom. It creates a crazy crispy bottom like it’s straight from the pizzeria.

Fully Loaded Double Cheese Pesto Pizza

By The Smart Cookie Cook

Ingredients:

Pizza dough (store-bought or homemade), at room temperature
Cornmeal, for dusting
¾ cup basil pesto
10 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
4 oz. (about ½ a cup) crumbled feta cheese
½ of a 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano, drained
¼ cup chopped walnuts
1 2.25-oz. can sliced black olives, drained

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle a pizza pan with an even layer of cornmeal. Spread dough over top. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes, or until crust begins to set but is not yet browned.
Remove crust from oven. Spread pesto over the crust in an even layer all the way up to the edges.
Lay slices of mozzarella in a single layer on top of pesto, covering the pizza generously but still leaving a good portion of the pesto showing through. Sprinkle feta over top, followed by the tomatoes, then the walnuts. (At this point, you can add the olives too, but I like to wait until after the pizza is cooked, right before serving, so they taste fresh and crisp).
Bake pizza for 10-15 minutes until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted and bubbly. Sprinkle with olives (if you haven’t already) and allow to cool for two minutes before serving. Enjoy!