Spicy Arugula Pesto Pizza

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Spicy arugula pesto, fresh ciliegine mozzarella, sausage, and mushrooms piled onto your favorite pizza crust. Experience peppery arugula with a little umami.

Recently, I have been craving pesto and pizza. I really love making my own pesto when I have the ingredients, but basil is only in season for a few months out of the year and brazil nuts are not something I typically keep in my pantry. So sometimes I like to make a kale or arugula pesto.

Some of the ingredients you might already have in your kitchen like lemon juice and olive oil. Then you just need to purchase a tub of kale and small package of walnuts. It only takes me a few minutes to whip up.

What I especially like about arugula pesto is the little bit of peppery spice that it has. Its not too overwhelming but adds a little interest.

I typically make this recipe using my gluten free pizza crust, however, you can substitute the crust for your own pizza crust recipe or my sourdough flatbread pizza crust.

What You Will Need

1 gluten free pizza crust (or crust of your choice)

6-8 ciliegine mozzarella cheese balls

¼ lb ground sausage cooked (I used a pre-seasoned sausage)

4-5 baby bella mushrooms sliced and lightly sautéed (for about 5 minutes)

1 cup arugula

½ tsp cracked pepper

Arugula Pesto

4 oz arugula

2-3 tbsp walnuts

2-3 cloves garlic

2-3 tbsp lemon juice

⅓ cup olive oil (add more if needed)

1 tsp salt

How to Make Spicy Arugula Pesto Pizza

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Make The Arugula Pesto

In a blender or food processor, chop the walnuts until they are a fine powder.

Next, add the garlic cloves, salt, olive oil, lemon juice, and arugula and blend until the pesto is a thick paste. You can add more oil as needed.

Assembling The Pizza

Spread the pesto onto the pizza dough using a baking spatula.

Evenly space out the mozzarella balls over the top of the pizza and sprinkle the sausage and mushrooms in between the cheese. Sprinkle with cracked pepper if desired.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the pesto has darkened slightly.

Remove from the oven and top with fresh arugula. Cut into slices and serve!

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