Growing up I didn’t eat very many mushrooms, but as I am getting older they have become one of my favorites. I regularly order items at restaurants that have mushrooms on them and I have bookmarked many recipes that call for mushrooms. Fortunately, Jeffrey enjoys them as much as I do; however, the boys are still not yet convinced.
This recipe for pizza really highlights mushrooms because you have a mushroom pesto as well as some sautéed mushrooms on top. Jeffrey and I were both pleased with the outcome and probably ate more than our share. I think the mushroom pesto was so yummy that it would be awesome over pasta though I have yet to try it.
Mushroom Pizza
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For the mushroom pesto:
5 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic
1/4 ounce dried shitake mushrooms
1/4 cup hot water
1 small shallot, roughly chopped
2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
For the pizza:
8 oz. sliced mushrooms, preferably a variety
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1/4 cup dry white wine
Salt and pepper
1 ball pizza dough (this is 1/2 of my favorite recipe)
pizza sauce (I just use enough to lightly cover the dough.)
1 1/2 cups shredded Fontina cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Directions:
To make the mushroom pesto, preheat the oven to 450˚ F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Toss the sliced baby bella mushrooms and garlic cloves with 1 tablespoon of the oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Peel the garlic after it comes out of the oven.
While the baby bellas and garlic are roasting, soak the dried shitake in the hot water for about 5 minutes.
In the bowl of a food processor or blender, combine the roasted mushrooms, peeled garlic, shitake mushrooms and liquid from rehydrating them, shallot, thyme, parsley, remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil. Process until smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed. Stir in the Parmesan. (This can be made in advance and refrigerated until ready to use.)
To make the pizza, preheat the oven and a pizza stone to 500˚ F (This takes at least 30 minutes.) Meanwhile, melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the mushrooms until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook just until fragrant. Stir in the wine and cook until the liquid has evaporated. Remove from the heat.
Stretch the pizza dough into a 12-14 inch round on a pizza peel or board coated with cornmeal (Cornmeal allows you to slide the pizza onto the stone without it sticking to the peel or board.) Lightly spoon a thin layer of pizza sauce over the crust. Spread the mushroom pesto over the pizza sauce (I only used about half of the pesto). Top with the shredded cheeses. Finish the pizza by layering the sautéed mushrooms over the cheese.
Transfer the pizza to the preheated pizza stone and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the crust is lightly browned, about 10-12 minutes.
