Caramelized Onion and Pesto Pizza
Yield: one 12-inch pizza
No cheese needed for this satisfying European-style pizza! The sweet, caramelized onions on top of a lively pesto will knock your socks off, but the crunch of oven-toasted walnuts and a burst of fresh basil will have you moaning with every bite!
1 thin crusted pizza crust
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 yellow onions, thinly sliced
Salt and fresh pepper
1/2 cup pesto (purchased or made fresh, see recipe below)
Fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup walnuts or pinenuts
2 ounces feta cheese (optional)
Olive oil for drizzling
Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan. Add the onions and cook slowly over medium-low heat for 35-40 minutes, until the onions have turned a rich caramel color. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Spread the pizza crust with the pesto and cover with the onions. Lay several basil leaves in a decorative fashion over the onions and sprinkle the pizza with the walnuts and optional feta. Drizzle the top with a little olive oil and a sprinkling of salt.
Transfer the pizza to the hot oven (a hot pizza stone is best, but a sheet pan will do) and bake until the walnuts are toasted, about 12 minutes. Brush the edge of the crust lightly with olive oil. Cut and serve.
Basil Pesto
Yield: about 2 1/2 cups
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
3 cups packed fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup packed parsley leaves
4 cloves garlic
1/3 cup Parmigiano Reggiano
1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Combine all of the ingredients, leaving out the olive oil for now, until chopped well.
With the machine running, slowly drizzle the olive oil through the feed tube, until the pesto is pureed into a smoothish paste. Taste, adding more salt, if needed, to bring up the flavors.
To store, place the pesto in a bowl and lay a piece of plastic wrap in direct contact over the pesto to keep it from discoloring. Cover the bowl with another piece of plastic. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
©2006 Copyright Alison Anton - All rights reserved.