Pesto Caprese French Bread Pizza

by Dorothy Reinhold on August 2, 2018


Print This Post Print This Post Pesto Caprese French Bread Pizza: A smear of basil pesto, a layering of perfectly fresh, ripe tomatoes, slices of soft fresh mozzarella, a quick pass through the oven, and you have easy pizza perfection. Don't forget to sprinkle the top with toasted pine nuts! #shockinglydelicious #pizzarecipe  #weeknightdinner  #pestopizza #frenchbreadpizza #capresepizza

Pesto Caprese French Bread Pizza: A smear of basil pesto, a layering of perfectly fresh, ripe tomatoes, slices of soft fresh mozzarella, a quick pass through the oven, and you have easy pizza perfection. Don’t forget to sprinkle the top with toasted pine nuts!

A trip to the Italian market in my area – the incomparable Bay Cities Italian Deli & Bakery (if you are in Santa Monica, Calif. you must go) – led to my next French Bread Pizza creation.

Each trip to this market starts with me putting three loaves of their wonderful still-warm-from-the-oven bread into my basket. Anything else on top of that acquisition is gravy. But soon I happened upon their fresh, water-packed mozzarella, and a little tub of freshly made basil pesto. Into the cart and bingo!

Last month we made French Bread Hawaiian Pizza, to good effect, so I imagined an Italian version based on the popular Caprese salad.

Pesto Caprese French Bread Pizza | ShockinglyDelicious.com My family loved this simple pizza, served with fresh mango alongside, and it was ready about 20 minutes after I started. Can’t beat that!

In fact, it’s so easy you can probably do it just from looking at the photos below.

Pesto Caprese French Bread Pizza | ShockinglyDelicious.comPesto Caprese French Bread Pizza | ShockinglyDelicious.comPesto Caprese French Bread Pizza | ShockinglyDelicious.comPesto Caprese French Bread Pizza | ShockinglyDelicious.comLet’s make Pesto Caprese French Bread Pizza, shall we?

Pesto Caprese French Bread Pizza

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Yield: Serves 4

Pesto Caprese French Bread Pizza

Pesto Caprese French Bread Pizza: A smear of basil pesto, a layering of perfectly fresh, ripe tomatoes, slices of soft fresh mozzarella, a quick pass through the oven, and you have easy pizza perfection. Don't forget to sprinkle the top with toasted pine nuts!

Ingredients

  • 1 (1-pound) loaf of French bread
  • 1/2-3/4 cup fresh basil pesto (8-12 tablespoons) (I used a 7-ounce container of prepared pesto)
  • 4 very large tomatoes (I used organic heirloom tomatoes)
  • 12 ounces fresh water-packed mozzarella
  • Garnish: toasted pine nuts

Directions

  1. Heat oven to 425 F degrees. Get out a baking sheet and set aside.
  2. Cut a loaf of bread in half widthwise, and then split each half into 2 planks, so you will have 4 pizzas.
  3. Lay bread cut side up on the baking sheet. Using a small offset spatula or butter knife, spread pesto liberally on the cut side of each bread slice. You will use 2-3 tablespoons of pesto for each pizza plank; don’t be miserly with the pesto.
  4. Cut the core out of each tomato, and cut each tomato into round slices. (I used to advise scooping out the seeds and gel inside before slicing, but now I have learned that food scientists have determined much of the tomato flavor and umami is in the seeds and gel, so let's leave them in now! However, if you really truly want to scoop them out, make a small slice off the end of each tomato, exposing the seeds inside. Using a finger, poke into the seed pockets of each tomato and flick out the seeds into the sink to discard. Slice each seeded tomato). Lay slices on top of pesto; each pizza plank should handle 4 or so large tomato slices.
  5. Drain mozzarella and slice it. Place mozzarella on pizza planks. Each pizza plank should be able to handle 3-4 slices of mozzarella.
  6. Place pizza-laden baking sheet into the oven and bake for 10 minutes. The cheese will melt and the tomato will cook a bit.
  7. Remove from oven, sprinkle with toasted pine nuts, and serve, 1 plank per person.
  8. Serves 4.

Notes

Recipe source: Original recipe by Dorothy Reinhold | Shockingly Delicious

https://www.shockinglydelicious.com/pesto-caprese-french-bread-pizza/

Shockingly Delicious French Bread Pizzas

Easy French Bread Hawaiian Pizza | www.ShockinglyDelicious.comFrench Bread Hawaiian Pizza

Pesto Caprese French Bread Pizza

Pesto Caprese French Bread Pizza

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This was originally posted on March 26, 2014 and has been updated and republished.

{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }

Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert September 13, 2018 at 8:29 am

This looks really delicious! A perfect weekend treat!

Reply

Katerina @ diethood .com September 12, 2018 at 8:06 am

mmm..this sounds fantastic!! Perfect for lunch!!

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Jamielyn September 12, 2018 at 7:57 am

LOVE this idea! I love anything pesto!

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Jennifer Laughlin September 12, 2018 at 7:09 am

Helloooooo delicious! Love the flavors here!

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Toni | Boulder Locavore September 12, 2018 at 4:32 am

This is a new favorite in my house!!

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Anna September 11, 2018 at 9:09 pm

This is such a great lunch idea! So fun to make too!

Reply

Sandra | A Dash of Sanity August 4, 2018 at 1:35 pm

It looks so delicious! Something my family will love!

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Anna August 3, 2018 at 8:09 pm

French bread pizza is so tasty! Loving this caprese version!

Reply

Toni | Boulder Locavore August 3, 2018 at 7:13 am

I love this idea!! Looks really good!

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Demeter August 3, 2018 at 6:41 am

I love pesto! This sounds just fabulous!

Reply

Jamielyn August 2, 2018 at 6:57 pm

Love this idea! Looks so good!

Reply

Amanda August 2, 2018 at 4:01 pm

This looks absolutely amazing !! I cannot wait to try this !

Reply

Delaney | Melanie Makes August 2, 2018 at 3:29 pm

I want to eat this for dinner!

Reply

Laura @ Family Spice March 27, 2014 at 10:38 am

I made French Bread pizzas all the time when I was kid. Love them! And I love these adult versions with yummy pesto!

Reply

Dorothy Reinhold March 27, 2014 at 1:57 pm

Laura,
Isn’t it just the simplest idea? The older I get, the simpler I want to be.

Reply

Jeanne @JollyTomato March 26, 2014 at 10:22 pm

I’m down for pesto anytime! I’d happily have this for weekday supper…or lunch…or breakfast!

Reply

Dorothy Reinhold March 27, 2014 at 1:58 pm

Jeanne,
Oh yes, breakfast would be divine, too!

Reply

Shaina March 26, 2014 at 8:09 am

I’m obsessed with making pesto. It’s like my favorite thing to do, ever. This french bread pizza looks insanely delicious, I have got to try it!

Reply

Dorothy Reinhold March 27, 2014 at 1:59 pm

Shaina,
Of all the obsessions to have, pesto is one of the most useful!

Reply

Sarah | Curious Cuisiniere March 26, 2014 at 7:32 am

The only problem here is that I can’t grab one of those pizzas off my screen and start munching! Yummy!

Reply

Dorothy Reinhold March 27, 2014 at 2:00 pm

Sarah,
Oh yeah, don’t you wish we all had that feature on our machines? Would be dangerous.

Reply

Renee March 26, 2014 at 4:07 am

So easy and oh so delicious!

Reply

Dorothy Reinhold March 27, 2014 at 2:01 pm

Renee,
Thanks!

Reply

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