Take your homemade pizza game up a notch with this surprisingly easy version topped with fresh pesto, crisp prosciutto, and creamy burrata.
Let’s make our own fancy pizza at home, but let’s do it the easy way. Buy some store-bought pizza dough, top it with a few special ingredients, pour yourself a glass of wine, and 15 minutes later, slice and enjoy. No prep required. This is the type of pizza that you’ll want to eat sitting around the kitchen counter, dragging golden crust through every last bit of creamy cheese. It’s great for summer nights, date-night-in, or any old Tuesday when you want something special that doesn’t take special-level amounts of work.
Ingredients
- Pizza Dough - Keep things simple and grab store-bought pizza dough for this “fancy” pizza. I love the whole grain pizza dough from Whole Foods, but any type will work. If you want to make homemade dough, I’ve been loving this Rachel Ray version.
- Pesto - If you happen to have access to loads of fresh basil, make homemade pesto, or just grab some pre-made pesto at the grocery store. Any pesto that’s sold fresh in the chilled section will likely be better than the shelf-stable versions sold in with other canned goods.
- Prosciutto - Buy thinly sliced prosciutto pre-packaged or ask for it at your deli counter. The thinner the better because it will crisp up more quickly. This salty cured Italian meat pair so well with the other Italian ingredients in this pizza.
- Baby Arugula - Use a small handful of fresh baby arugula to add some color and peppery spice to the finished pizza. A few leaves of fresh basil would be great if you prefer them over arugula.
- Black Pepper and / or Red Pepper Flakes - I love some fresh black pepper or red pepper flakes (for spice) over the top of this pizza. Feel free to skip this if you prefer, but it adds some nice finishing flavor.
What is Burrata?
Burrata is an Italian-style fresh cheese that resembles fresh mozzarella. It is white and comes in balls, but unlike mozzarella, burrata has a firm outer shell of mozzarella and a center that is very creamy and spreadable.
Burrata is really having a moment in the food scene right now but it used to be difficult to find. Now many grocery stores sell it in small tubs, packed in liquid just like mozzarella. Look for it in single large balls or in smaller balls - any type will be great on pizza.
Can you cook Burrata cheese?
Burrata is best served fresh, not cooked. If you cook it you will lose that creamy, spreadable center filling that is what makes this cheese so special.
More Pizza and Flatbread Recipes
- Greek Pizza with Feta, Spinach and Olives
- Pizza Bianca with Caramelized Onions and Gruyere
- No-Knead Sheet Pan Pizza
- Brussels Sprouts, Bacon, and Goat Cheese Pizza
- Grilled Summer Vegetable and Pesto Pizza
- Sweet Corn, Pesto, and Goat Cheese Pizza
- Thai Chicken Pizza
- No-Knead Pizza Dough for Pear, Caramelized Onion, and Gorgonzola Pizza
- Pesto Flatbread with Shaved Asparagus and Bacon
Favorite Tools
Pizza with Pesto, Burrata, Crispy Prosciutto, and Basil
Equipment
- Pizza Stone
- Pizza Peel
- Parchment Paper
Ingredients
- 1 lb Pizza Dough (use your favorite store-bought or homemade)
- ⅓ cup Pesto, store-bought or homemade, plus more for serving
- 4 oz thinly sliced Prosciutto
- 8 oz Burrata Cheese (see note)
- 2 oz Baby Arugula
- Black Pepper or Red Pepper Flakes (optional)
Instructions
- If using store-bought or homemade dough that has been refrigerated, set it out on a lightly floured surface and let it rest for 30 minutes before making pizza. (The gluten in the dough will relax as it comes to room temperature, making the pizza easier to shape.)
- Heat oven: Preheat oven to 500°F / 260°C. If using a pizza stone, be sure it is in the oven as the oven heats up.
- Prepare pizza dough by stretching it out on a piece of parchment paper.
- First bake (5 minutes): Transfer the parchment paper with the pizza dough to a sheet pan or slide it onto the hot pizza stone (if using). Bake for 5 minutes. (This gives the crust a head start and helps it to hold up to the toppings.)
- Add toppings: Spread the dough with a thin layer of pesto. Top with prosciutto in a single layer.
- Second bake (10 minutes): Bake pizza until crust is golden brown and prosciutto is crisp, about 10 minutes.
- As soon as the pizza comes out of the oven, top it with burrata cheese and arugula.
- Slice pizza, cutting through the burrata and spreading it loosely over the slices of pizza. (It will be messy and imperfect, but will taste great!) Top the pizza with fresh cracked black pepper or red pepper flakes (for some spice) if you’d like. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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Audra Clark
Delicious!