This easy homemade pizza is packed with bright, spring flavor. Start with a quick pea pesto base, add fresh mozzarella and prosciutto, and top it off with a handful of fresh pea shoots or pea tendrils!
Fresh pea shoots (also called pea tendrils) are one of my favorite things about springtime.
They're bright, slightly crunchy, and have a subtle fresh pea flavor that pairs perfectly with rich ingredients (like the mozzarella and prosciutto we're adding to this pea shoot pizza).
Learn more: How to Use Fresh Pea Shoots
All you need for this pizza:
- Your favorite pizza dough (we love our 15 minute pizza dough or a whole wheat pizza crust!)
- A batch of 5 minute pea pesto (the ;tldr version: blend a cup of fresh peas and a few handfuls of pea shoots in a food processor with a clove of garlic, a squeeze of lemon juice, and a pinch of salt, then drizzle in olive oil until you have a smooth pesto).
- Fresh mozzarella, torn into pieces
- A few slices of prosciutto
- Fresh pea shoots (also called pea tendrils) for topping. You can usually find pea shoots at the farmers' market or specialty grocery stores in spring and early summer!
Optional additions:
- Top the finished pizza with a squeeze of lemon juice or a drizzle of thick balsamic vinegar for extra flavor.
- Add fresh peas or sweet corn kernels to the pizza before baking to make it a bit heartier.
A few tips for this pea shoot pizza:
Use any pizza dough you like.
Store bought or homemade pizza doughs are both great here! Throw our quick pizza dough together in just a few minutes, make your own favorite pizza crust recipe, or grab a pre-made dough from the store to save time.
Bake on a pizza stone or baking steel.
A baking steel gives your pizza a light, crispy, flavorful crust. For best results, preheat your oven and baking steel for 30-60 minutes before baking to ensure the surface is nice and hot!
How to bake pizza on a baking steel
Lay a piece of parchment paper over a cutting board or flat baking sheet, then press your pizza dough into shape on top of the paper.
Add your toppings, then use the cutting board to slide your pizza and the parchment onto your hot baking steel (just like a pizza peel!)
When pizza is ready, use tongs to carefully pull it out of the oven and onto a cooling rack or cutting board. This method can take a bit of practice, but it's worth it for that ultra-crispy crust!
Homemade pizza FAQs
We like using a baking steel or pizza stone for best results! Preheat your oven and baking steel for 30-60 minutes before baking, then use a pizza peel (or a cutting board or flat baking sheet) to carefully transfer your prepared pizza to the hot stone (we like using a piece of parchment paper to make it easier to slide the pizza around). When pizza is ready, use tongs to carefully pull it out of the oven and onto a cooling rack or cutting board.
Grab some pre made store-bought dough or use our 15 minute pizza dough recipe for a quick option, or try our hearty whole wheat pizza dough! You can also use your go-to pizza dough recipe if you already have a favorite.
Yes! If you want to mimic the crispy crust you get with a pizza stone, you can put a sturdy sheet pan - one that doesn't warp in high heat - into the oven (if it has edges, turn it upside-down it so it's easier to slide the pizza on) to preheat for 30 minutes or so, then slide your pizza onto the hot baking sheet. You can also make this recipe into a pan pizza: just press the dough into shape right on a baking sheet or pizza pan, top, and bake!
Prosciutto and Pea Shoot Pizza
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
- Category: Pizza
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Description
This easy homemade pizza uses fresh pea pesto and pea shoots for a burst of spring and summer flavor!
Ingredients
- 1 batch your favorite pizza dough
- ⅓ cup pea shoot pesto (you may not need it all)
- 4 ounces fresh mozzarella
- 4 slices prosciutto
- 1 cup fresh pea shoots, for topping
Instructions
- Heat oven to 500° F with a baking steel or pizza stone inside. For best results, let the oven heat for 30-60 minutes to get the baking steel nice and hot.
- Lay a piece of parchment paper over a large cutting board. Roll or stretch the pizza dough into shape and place on top of the parchment paper (this will make it easier to slide into the oven!).
- Spread a thin layer of pea shoot pesto over the pizza dough. Top with mozzarella and prosciutto.
- Slide pizza into the hot oven and bake until pizza is browned and the cheese is bubbling, about 10-15 minutes. The exact time will vary depending on your oven, equipment, and pizza dough: check it every few minutes and pull it out of the oven as soon as it looks done!
- Use a pair of tongs to carefully pull the finished pizza out of the oven and onto your cutting board. Transfer pizza to a wire cooling rack for 5-10 minutes (a cooling rack helps the crust stay crispy while the pizza cools) then return to the cutting board for slicing.
- Top pizza with fresh pea shoots. Slice and serve immediately.
Notes
How to make pea pesto: For detailed directions, follow our full recipe for Pea Shoot Pesto. In a nutshell, blend 1 cup of peas with 2 cups of pea shoots and 1 clove of garlic in a food processor with a pinch of salt and a squeeze of lemon juice, then stream in olive oil until you have a smooth pesto.
Substitutions and Additions. If pea shoots aren’t in season, you can use basil pesto, arugula pesto, or cilantro pesto in place of the pea pesto and use fresh herbs instead of pea shoots for topping.
Where can I find pea shoots? You can usually find pea shoots at the farmers' market or specialty grocery stores in spring and early summer! They may also be called pea tendrils or pea greens. Learn more: All about pea shoots.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 607
- Sugar: 3.7 g
- Sodium: 1797.8 mg
- Fat: 22.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 68.3 g
- Protein: 31.8 g
- Cholesterol: 30.8 mg
Keywords: pizza, spring, summer
coley
This was really unique and tasty! The pea shoot pesto really takes it over the top. I can't always find pea shoots at my grocery store but would love to try this with a kale pesto next time. Thanks for a great recipe!
★★★★★
Team Life As A Strawberry
Kale is a great substitute when pea shoots aren't available! The kale and basil pesto from this recipe would taste great!