Digital Explorations 

Categories

Recipes
Home Renovation
Travel
Art

I have a difficult time trusting anyone that hates beets. Sweet and earthy with a color to rival any man made cuisines, beets tend to be a staple in our crisper drawer. I had stumbled across some images of a “beet pesto pizza” a little while back, and never one to turn down an opportunity to make pizza decided to explore the idea further.

This particular recipe took some liberties in using the word “pesto”, the list of ingredients leaving out any mention of basil and topping the pie with an ample amount of kale. A little wiser from my last run in with food-that-looks-too-good-to-taste-good we decided to overhaul their process from the beginning.

Pizza with roasted beet and garlic sauce topped with goat cheese, parmesean, and arugula

Pizza with roasted beet and garlic sauce topped with goat cheese, parmesean, and arugula

Pizza with roasted beet and garlic sauce topped with goat cheese, parmesean, and arugula

We roasted a large beet, half a red onion, and five cloves of garlic lightly tossed in olive oil for one hour. I tend to peel vegetables as little as I have to, and giving the beet a good scrub and cutting it into one inch cubes before roasting seemed to do the trick (it will also save you from staining your fingers too terribly). Once roasted, toss the beet, onions, and garlic into a food processor with a handful of fresh basil, two tablespoons of pine nuts, and a two tablespoons of olive oil. Pulse until the ingredients are well incorporated and form a paste and add salt and pepper to taste.

We opted to skip the layer of kale in the original recipe (the texture just didn’t seem right), and after spreading the beet mixture on the dough sprinkled liberally with lemon zest (about one whole lemons worth). I wouldn’t recommend skipping this step, the zest helped to add more depth to the overall flavor and cut the sweetness of the beet quite a bit. Next, add artichoke hearts, goat cheese, and parmesean and bake. Before serving I added a handful of baby arugula and a drizzle of balsamic glaze.

Pizza with roasted beet and garlic sauce topped with goat cheese, parmesean, and arugula

Pizza with roasted beet and garlic sauce topped with goat cheese, parmesean, and arugula

While this isn’t your traditional pesto pizza, the beets lend a new and distinct take on the classic pie. The deep flavor of roasted beets and garlic cut with the acidity of the lemon is a refreshing change from marinara while the basil brings you back to familiar territory. The crust seemed vitally important, so I would encourage taking the extra time to make yours from scratch.

Pizza with Beet Sauce
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Pizza
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 medium pizza crust
  • 1 large beet
  • 5 cloves of garlic
  • ½ medium red onion
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 bunch basil
  • 2 tablespoons pine nuts
  • zest of 1-2 lemons
  • ½ cup artichoke hearts (we used grilled)
  • 2 oz goat cheese
  • 2 oz parmegiano reggiano
  • salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 400*
  2. Clean and cube beet and onion
  3. Toss beet, onion, and garlic in a drizzle of olive oil and roast for one hour
  4. Mix beet, onion, garlic, basil, olive oil, and pine nuts in a food processor or blender until smooth
  5. Spread beet sauce onto pizza crust and sprinkle generously with lemon zest
  6. Top the pizza with artichoke hearts, goat cheese, and parmegiano reggiano and bake for 10 minutes (also at 400*)
  7. Remove from oven and let pizza rest for 1-2 minutes. Serve topped with baby arugula and balsamic glaze.