Nobody is harder on myself than me. Back when I was a young mom and thought that Shake & Bake pork chops and jarred applesauce was the height of culinary excellence, I would have thought this recipe even higher than that.
But because I know how to cook fresh artichokes, make my own pesto and pizza dough, I think I should always.
But I’m learning to give myself a break. There’s a Trust Election going on, I wanted to take pictures at the Easter Parade, and I had family over for Easter Sunday so this one is quick easy, and only semi-homemade. I know some of you will thank me for that - only 4 ingredients, but really good!
INGREDIENTS
1 Pillsbury Pizza Crust
~1 cup jarred pesto*
1 can artichoke hearts
8 ounces sliced fresh mozzarella
METHOD
I rarely use canned/jarred artichokes because you can always taste the citric acid that preserves them. But I rinsed them and set them on kitchen towels, blotting the moisture and they were okay - especially because they were cooked.
Most canned hearts still have some of the choke on the bottom - it’s like eating doll hair. Cut th bottom of and chop the rest of the artichoke roughly.
Preheat the oven to 425.
Spread the dough into a cookie sheet, making a little bit of an edge going up the sides of the pan.
Spread your pesto all over the dough, leaving 1/2 inch or so around the edges bare. *When I make my own pesto, I like it pretty chunky and rustic. But since we’re using it more as a sauce here, smooth is fine. Try the Barilla or the Alessi Premium. Many other brands are loaded with weird ingredients. Basil, garlic, EVOO, Parmesan, done.
Place the mozzarella cheese slices all over the dough. then add the artichokes.
Cook for 10 minutes, and remove the pan from the oven. The crust should be almost golden brown, but run a knife or fork under the pizza to check that it’s not still gooey.
Cook for another 5 minutes and check again. This was the simplest thing I made on Easter, but it was the most popular!
