Summer Grill-out: Grilled Pizza with Basil-Walnut Pesto, Tomatoes & Feta

Grilled Pesto Pizza with Tomatoes & Feta

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Summer Grill-Out Menu

• Roasted Garlic Chicken & Potato Pizza
  

• Summer Roasted Corn w/ Prosciutto & Scallions
  

• Bluecorn Chickpea Tacos
  

• Pasta with Basil-Walnut Pesto
  

This is a great no-bake vegetarian pizza recipe, perfect for a summer grill-out. Feel free to mix and match your own toppings. Using homemade pesto cuts down on the fat and calories from store-bought pesto and gives this pizza a great base for toppings. This is a great dish to make and serve as light appetizers the next time you are entertaining guests. No baking required! The ingredients couldn’t be any simpler, just pesto, tomatoes and feta cheese. For convenience, this recipe uses a prepared pizza crust, found in most supermarkets. Or use a prepared pizza dough, such as the ones found in the refrigerated section of Trader Joe's.

I am always on the lookout for good pesto recipes because prepared pesto from the stores are so caloric! You can find a reason to use pesto on almost everything. Toss some pasta in some pesto for a simple vegetarian meal or use it as a base for a pesto pizza. Drizzle pesto over some roasted vegetables for a quick side dish. Make a substantial amount of this sauce because you will want to use it in every recipe. This pesto is so simple—just basil, garlic, cheese, walnuts and olive oil. You can substitute the walnuts for any nuts you have on hand. They make a great mix in for their crunch and mild flavor. Enjoy these summer recipes and fire up your grill!
Check out your local farmer's market for the freshest ingredients.

Grilled Pizza with Pesto, Tomato & Feta

4 servings

Ingredients

* 1 prepared whole-wheat pizza crust
* 1/2 cup prepared pesto (recipe below)
* 4 ripe plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
* 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
* 1 teaspoon olive oil

Basil-Walnut Pesto

Makes about 1 cup

Ingredients

* 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves, (2-3 bunches)
* 1/4 cup walnut pieces, toasted
* 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
* 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 3 tablespoons water
* 1 large clove garlic, minced
* 1/2 teaspoon salt and freshly ground pepper

Place basil, walnuts, Parmigiano-Reggiano, oil, water, garlic, salt and pepper in a food processor; pulse a few times, then process until fairly smooth, or to the desired consistency.

Directions

1. Heat grill to medium-high.
2. Lay crusts on grill and brush with olive oil. Cover grill and cook until crusts are lightly browned, about 3 minutes.
3. Immediately spread pesto over crusts. Top with tomatoes. Sprinkle with feta. Cover grill and cook until the undersides are lightly browned, about 3 minutes more.

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