Beet Pesto Pizza

This beet pesto pizza combines homemade beet pesto, caramelized onion, zucchini, fennel, and cheese for a delicious summer pizza! It’s a nice change from a classic tomato sauce base that will have everyone going back for seconds.  

I made pizza for the first time in a long while last Sunday. That reminded me to post this recipe, which I developed over the summer. Beet pesto, caramelized onion and fennel, thinly sliced zucchini, cheese, lots of hot red pepper flakes, and herbs make for an extra special homemade pizza experience. 

why you’ll love this pizza recipe

The crust: I have been making Jim Lahey’s famous no-knead pizza dough for the past couple of months, and it’s so much better than any other homemade pizza dough I’ve made. It’s slightly fermented, so it has a somewhat tangy flavour, and it has a strong gluten structure And it’s so simple; just mix up flour, yeast, salt, and water in a large bowl, stir, cover it with a towel, and let it rest for 18 hours or so. (Do this the night before you plan to make your pizzas.) When it’s time to make your pizzas, you just generously flour your counter, divide the dough into four portions, stretch them out to fit your preheated pizza stone, and you’re good to go. You can certainly use store-bought pizza dough for this recipe, too, if that’s what you prefer. 

The beet pesto: Tomato pizza sauce is a classic base, but I like to change things up. Beets have been a staple in our CSA share all summer, so I’ve come up with some novel ways to enjoy them. This beet pesto consists of beets, almonds, garlic, vinegar, and olive oil. It’s bright, flavourful, and quite the sight to behold. And it makes more than you need for your pizzas, so you can enjoy it on pastas, sandwiches, and the like in the coming days. 

It’s easy to make: You only have to prepare a few simple elements- the pizza dough, the beet pesto, and the caramelized onions and fennel. Then, simply slice up a zucchini and grate some cheese. 

It’s healthy: This is not your average greasy American pizza. Beets are packed with folate, fibre, iron, potassium, vitamin C, and nitrates, which convert to nitric oxide in the body and are believed to enhance endurance. This pizza is the perfect meal to enjoy the night before a long run! 

Ingredients and Notes

For the beet pesto, you’ll need:

• Beets
• Almonds: Nuts or seeds are needed in a pesto to provide a rich, creamy texture and body. While almonds are my nut of choice here, you can swap them out for cashews or sunflower seeds. Just don’t use pumpkin seeds as they may change the colour of the pesto.
• Garlic: Provides a sharp punch and savoury depth that helps to balance the richness of the nuts and oil.
• Lemons: Lemon juice cuts through the richness of the oil and nuts to provide brightness and balance.
• Extra-virgin olive oil: Provides a creamy texture and binds the ingredients into a smooth emulsion.
• Red wine vinegar: Provides additional brightness and acidity.
• Sea salt: Required to balance and enhance all of the other flavours.
• Freshly ground black pepper and red pepper flakes: Adds a subtle kick of heat.

For the caramelized onion and fennel: 

• Extra virgin olive oil: For sautéing.
• Red onion and fennel: The veggies you’ll be caramelizing.
• Seasonings: Salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, basil, and oregano.

For assembling the pizzas:

• One batch of No-Knead Pizza Dough (or enough pizza dough for 4 pizzas)
• Shredded mozzarella cheese
• Shredded Pecorino cheese
• Zucchini

Instructions

1. Make the pesto: Combine all of the beet pesto ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer into a jar or container until ready to use. Note: This pesto can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for up to five days. 
2. Make the caramelized onion and fennel: Warm the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and fennel, plus a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes, or until very soft and caramelized. In the last five minutes, add the pepper, herbs, and red pepper flakes. 
3. Preheat the oven to 500 F if using pizza stones (or 450 F if you’re using baking sheets). If using pizza stones, place them in the oven for at least 20 minutes to heat up. 
4. When ready to make your pizzas, divide the dough into four equal portions. On a generously floured surface, stretch out the dough into a rather thin oval or circle shape, depending on the shape of your pans. 
5. Carefully transfer the dough onto the pre-heated pizza stone. Spread with desired amount of beet pesto (I used about ⅓ cup per pizza). Top with sliced zucchini, caramelized onion and fennel, cheese, and olives. Repeat with the remaining dough and toppings. 
6. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and browned to your liking. 

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Finally, I hope that you love this beet pesto pizza! If you make it, let me know how you enjoyed it by leaving a comment and rating below the post. And if you share a photo to Instagram, tag it @upbeet.kitchen and #upbeetkitchen. I love seeing what you’ve made. 

Enjoy! 

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