Name: Pesto Veggie Pizza with Baby Kale and Zucchini Ribbons
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 pizza crust; olive oil; 6 oz pesto; 3 large handfuls baby kale; 1 large zucchini (peeled and cut into ribbons); 6 oz mozzarella cheese (shredded); feta cheese (crumbled)

Jump to Recipe

This pesto veggie pizza is for all those times you want to indulge, but also get your veggies in! Crispy pizza crust topped with salty basil pesto, massaged baby kale, zucchini ribbons, and BOTH mozzarella and feta cheeses, eating your vegetables never tasted this good! It’s one of my favorite summer recipes, full of bright veggies to fill you up without being too heavy, even with all the cheese!

I mean we know I’m obsessed with pesto so it only makes sense that I would use it as pizza sauce as well. I could probably drown in pesto and be happy about it. In fact the pesto veggie pizza is basically where Happy Stirring began. It was one of the first recipes I’ve ever experimented with when I started cooking for my parents, long before Happy Stirring was even a thought in my head. It’s gone through many different versions over the years, but finally I’ve found the right combination of healthy veggies and cheesy goodness. I’ve been holding onto this recipe for far too long, and it’s time to finally share the famous (in my circle at least) pesto veggie pizza!

Pesto Veggie Pizza – The Details

Most pizza is super easy to make, and this pesto veggie pizza is no exception. Nothing is better than just combining all your ingredients and popping the pan into the oven. Great for lunch or dinner – it only takes 30 minutes to get this pizza on the table. And if you ask me, it’s great for breakfast too, but don’t tell my boyfriend that, eating cold pizza for breakfast is like a sin to him. (I’m not crazy right, cold pizza for breakfast is a thing that everyone else does too, right?!)

Here’s what you’ll need to make this pesto veggie pizza, and you can enjoy it for any meal of the day, no matter what anyone else says! (Sorry Philip!)

Pizza crust (I like using the frozen ones you can grab already made from the grocery store, super easy, and accessible for beginners like me!)
3 – 4 handfuls baby kale, massaged in oil
1 large zucchini, sliced into ribbons
4 oz mozzarella cheese, sliced or shredded
Crumbled feta cheese (use as much as your heart desires and eat the rest for a snack while the pizza cooks!)
Basil Pesto (you can either buy a jar of pesto or use my recipe here, or below to make your own!)

Step One: Pizza Dough

Buying premade pizza dough cuts the time it takes to make this pesto veggie pizza in half! And I’ve learned a little about working with pizza dough through trial and error (and that one time I got so frustrated I threw the pizza dough on the ground and ordered takeout.) Mainly that, even though its premade, it still needs time to rise. Easiest way to do that? My grandpa used to sit his pizza dough on top of their wood burning stove, I like to put mine in the oven for an hour! In an oiled bowl, cover the pizza dough in saran wrap. Heat the oven to 200, turn it off, and pop the dough in there for an hour. It will be super easy to spread out when it’s warm and doubled in size!

After it’s risen, you’re going to spread that dough out onto your pan and bake it at 450 for about 10 minutes. I use oil into of flour, and I find myself getting a nice, moist, crispy crust every time. (And yes, that time I mentioned earlier where the floor became well acquainted with my dough, I was using flour, and that was the LAST time I tried that. Sorry not sorry!)

Step Two: Prep Your Pesto & Veggies

One of the more important steps that definitely should not be skipped – massaging the kale with a little bit of oil! It helps break down the fibrous tissue of the kale, making it so much easier to bite into. Let’s just say, this pizza used to be a damn mess before I started massaging the kale. I’m talking one bite and ALL the toppings are sliding off leaving you with sad pesto crust. But not anymore! Definitely do not skip the massaging! (And go get a nice massage for yourself while you’re at it LOL)

Next comes the zucchini ribbons, and you may be asking yourself how are you supposed to cut those thin slices of zucchini! I just use a peeler! First you take off the layer of skin, and then you just keep peeling off layers of zucchini until you get to the seeds.

And last put not least, make that pesto! Super easy, toss everything into the food processor, turn it on, and boom, pesto ready! Now it’s time to layer all the greens together! Bake for another 10 – 12 minutes to melt the cheeses and cook the veggies, and enjoy!!

Pesto Veggie Pizza – The Results

Fresh out of the oven, this pesto veggie pizza is a summer dream. Soft veggies, salty pesto, fresh mozzarella, and tangy feta cheese come together and creates happiness in your mouth. And don’t skimp on the feta, that’s like the best part! Trust me, there will not be any leftovers. And what makes this recipe really fun? The ingredients can be changed and played with. No kale left in the store? Use spinach! Don’t like zucchini? Try asparagus instead! Sometimes I put mushrooms on there. Sometimes I only have feta cheese. Any way you make this pesto veggie pizza, it will be GOOD.

Other Recipes To Try:

If you are somewhat concerningly obsessed with pesto like I am, you will love these other recipes from Happy Stirring!

And If you follow me on Instagram you know I have more pesto goodness coming. Currently working on a pesto white whine cream sauce recipe! Make sure you subscribe to the Happy Stirring Newsletter, and follow my Instagram to stay up to date will all the yummy things to come!