Pesto Pizzas (includes dairy free version)

I'm not a fan of cheese overload and so when it comes to pizza, I love making it at home.  Its easy enough to stop by the grocery store and pick up a bag of pizza dough (my fave is Trader Joe's whole wheat dough).  Then all you do is bake the dough for a bit, cover with toppings, bake the dough a bit more and your done.

I started making my trader joe's pizzas with the fresh tomato sauce blogged about earlier.  But then we tried using pesto instead.  OMG.  Pesto pizza is perfect - garlicy, basily, and just slightly cheesy.

The Pesto Recipe that follows is the one we use at my house - its thicker than usual pesto (better for spreading on pizza) and it uses less olive oil (better for spreading on your arteries).  A few friends who have dairy allergies more severe than mine have asked for an adapted cheese-less recipe.  This can be done using nutritional yeast as a substitute for the parmesan.

6 ounces fresh basil (rinsed, with large stems removed)
1/2 Cup pinenuts
1/2 Cup walnuts
1/2 Cup parmesan cheese (or nutritional yeast for allergies or vegans)
4 cloves of garlic
2 to 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/8 teaspoon of black pepper

Blend ingredients.  Use as a dip or spread on pizza dough.

I like to cut bell pepper and red onion in 1/4 inch slices and use this with sundried tomatoes as a topping.

Sidenote: My dog is obsessed with garlic.  Whenever we eat anything with pesto she becomes the ultimate begging machine.