For whatever reason, I have been craving pesto like crazy lately. However, as usual, I thought to myself, “How can I switch it up a bit?” Well, by adding sun-dried tomatoes, of course!
Being that I love me a good flatbread, I decided that I would use my pesto as the base and add fresh mozzarella. Many times, less is more, and this meal is a shining example of that. Simple ingredients and intense flavor are what this flatbread is all about.
This recipe yields enough pesto to last a while. I plan on using it in pasta dishes and on sandwiches. Any other ideas on how I can incorporate this mouth-watering pesto into upcoming dishes?
PART 1: SUN-DRIED TOMATO PESTO
What you’ll need:
- 1 cup olive oil
- 2 cups packed fresh basil, de-stemmed
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, diced
- 1/2 cup Pecorino Romano, grated
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 4 cloves of garlic
- Sea salt to taste
- Cracked black pepper to taste
What you’ll do:
- Combine all ingredients in a food processor
- Blend until smooth
- Spoon into a serving dish or mason jar
PART 2: DOUGH
What you’ll need:
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 package Fleschmann’s Pizza Crust Yeast
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp. sugar
- 1 tbsp. salt
- 2 tbsp. grape seed oil
What you’ll do:
- Combine warm water and yeast in a small bowl; stir and allow to sit for 5 minutes
- In a large bowl, combine 2 1/2 cups flour, sugar, and salt; mix together with a whisk
- Add yeast mixture and grape seed oil to the large bowl; mix with a hand mixer until the dough forms
- On a well-floured surface, knead the dough for about 5 minutes, adding the remaining 1/2 cup flour as needed
- Form the dough into the shape of a disk
PART 3: FLATBREAD
What you’ll need:
- Dough
- Sun-dried tomato pesto
- 15+ fresh mozzarella balls
- Cracked black pepper
What you’ll do:
- Preheat the oven to 425 ºF
- Spread the dough onto a greased baking sheet
- Brush on a moderate layer of sun-dried tomato pesto
- Strategically place mozzarella balls so that the cheese will not overlap once melted
- Bake in the oven for approximately 12 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown
- Garnish with cracked black pepper
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