Looking for veggie pizza ideas? You'll LOVE this tasty Mediterranean Pizza! This yummy recipe is loaded with flavorful ingredients: vegetables, pesto, and feta cheese ... so delicious and so easy to make!
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Ginnie's Take
I don't know about you, but I crave Mediterranean food! It's impossible to resist the region's vibrant plant based cuisine, and I love the liberal use of sun-kissed veggies and fresh herbs. This mouthwatering Mediterranean Pizza recipe was inspired by those unforgettable ingredients. With its cornucopia of vegetables, tangy feta cheese, and zippy pesto, this yummy pie is truly a treat for veggie lovers!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Irresistible Flavor - This Mediterranean inspired pizza features a wonderful combination of tasty vegetables, flavorful pesto, and yummy cheese. So delicious!
- Easy to Make - You can make this pizza using simple, store bought ingredients, it's so quick and easy to prepare. Perfect for any night of the week.
- Versatile - This veggie pizza recipe is super flexible! Customize the recipe according your taste and the ingredients in your pantry. You'll find lots of helpful tips below.
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Ingredients
This gourmet vegetarian pizza recipe uses easy to find ingredients! Here's what you'll need:
- Veggies - You'll top this pizza with healthy veggies that are popular in the Mediterranean diet and region: sun dried tomatoes (oil packed is best), artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, and red onion. The onions are fresh, but the other ingredients ready to use and can be found in your store's vegetable aisle. A sprinkle of fresh basil is a delicious finishing touch!
- Pesto - Using pesto as your pizza sauce adds tons of flavor! For the best results, make your own homemade pesto, or for convenience, use store bought pesto (this is my favorite brand).
- Cheese - This recipe uses a combination of two cheese for the best taste and texture: an Italian blend cheese (if you can't find a blend, shredded mozzarella is a good substitute), plus crumbled feta cheese.
- Olives - Zingy olives have a briny taste that pairs perfectly with the flavorful veggies, rich cheese, and herby pesto. I used kalamata olives, but you can substitute other varieties.
- Dough - Purchase a ball of pizza dough at your local grocery store to save time, or make your own. Either works great!
You'll Also Need
You'll need a sharp knife to prep the ingredients, as well as a large pan to bake the pizza on. This nonstick pizza pan is my favorite. I've had mine for years, and it still looks as good as new!
How to Make Mediterranean Pizza
This veggie lover's pizza couldn't be easier to make! You'll find a detailed recipe card below, but here's a quick overview of the steps:
- Spread crust with pesto. Brush your pizza pan lightly with olive oil, then top with the dough, stretching and pressing it out to the edges of the pan. Spread the pesto evenly over the crust. Tip: If your dough won't hold its shape, let it rest for about five minutes, then continue spreading it over the pan. You may need to repeat this process a few times.
- Add cheese. Sprinkle about ¾ of the shredded cheese over the pesto.
- Top with veggies + olives. Layer the red onion, red peppers, artichokes, olives, and sun dried tomatoes over the cheese. Tip: Make sure to blot the veggies dry (with a paper towel or clean kitchen cloth) to avoid adding excess moisture to your pizza.
- Sprinkle with remaining cheese + feta. Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese, along with the crumbled feta, over the veggies.
- Bake. Transfer the pizza to your preheated oven, then bake until the crust is browned and crisp, the toppings are hot, and the cheese is melted. Tip: Baking the pizza on your own's lowest rack will give you the crispiest crust.
Okay, it's time to enjoy your gorgeous, homemade Mediterranean Pizza ... doesn't it look amazing?
Variations (Other Topping Ideas)
Feel like experimenting? You can easily customize this recipe's Mediterranean pizza toppings according to your diet or what's in your pantry! Here are a few ideas to try:
- Veggies - Almost any vegetable, such as grape tomatoes, fresh bell peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, or spinach, would work well on this meatless pizza. Tip: To avoid a soggy pizza, quickly cook veggies that tend to release water (such as mushrooms, spinach, and zucchini) before adding them to the pizza.
- Herbs - Sprinkle with other fresh herbs, like oregano, thyme, parsley, or rosemary before serving. Crushed red pepper flakes would also be a tasty addition!
- Cheese - I used a premade Italian blend cheese for this recipe (shredded mozzarella will also work great), but you can create your own mix, by combining mozzarella with other Italian cheeses, such as provolone and parmesan. Goat cheese would make a great substitute for the feta.
- Olives - Swap out the kalamata olives for castelvetrano olives or a mixture of olives. You could even add some briny capers.
- Sauce - This pizza would also be delish made with a traditional tomato sauce. Check out my homemade pizza sauce for an easy, no cook recipe. Or you could turn it into a white pizza by brushing the crust with olive oil and sprinkling with fresh garlic.
- Vegan - Substitute plant based feta and vegan mozzarella for the cheese.
- Gluten Free - Use GF pizza dough, and of course, check the other ingredient labels carefully if you have an allergy.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this Mediterranean style pizza with this simple Green Salad or this easy Garden Salad, and dinner is done! In summer, it would also be delicious paired with this beautiful Tomato Onion Salad or this mouthwatering Burrata Caprese Salad. For a larger spread or Pizza Party, add my go-to Garlic Bread (or this yummy Garlic Cheese Bread), along with a simple side dish, like Glazed Carrots, Roasted Veggies, or Grilled Vegetables.
Storage
Transfer leftover pizza to an airtight container and store in your refrigerator, where it will stay fresh for three to four days. Reheat leftovers gently in your microwave, or for the best results, preheat your oven to 500 degrees, then bake on the bottom rack for about five minutes.
Related Recipes
Looking for more pizza ideas? Try one of these scrumptious recipes next:
- This Pesto, Veggie, and Feta Pizza is loaded with fresh vegetables!
- Calling all kale lovers! This Kale Pesto Pizza has a double dose of this yummy green vegetable. You'll find it in the topping and in the pesto sauce.
- Roasted Pumpkin Pizza pairs everyone's favorite fall vegetable with pesto and feta, and it's a surprisingly delish combo.
- This Green Pizza recipe has been a favorite of Hello Little Home readers for years!
- Head to the farmers market, and stock up on vegetables to make this Summer Veggie Pizza.
Mediterranean Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 ball pizza dough
- ½ cup pesto
- 8 ounces (226 grams) shredded Italian blend cheese, divided (see note)
- ½ medium red onion, thinly sliced
- ½ cup sliced roasted red peppers
- ½ cup quartered artichoke hearts
- ¼ cup halved Kalamata olives
- ¼ cup sliced sun dried tomatoes
- 4 ounces (113 grams) crumbled feta cheese (about 1 cup)
- handful fresh basil leaves, sliced
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 475°F (245°C) with rack on bottom shelf.
- Lightly brush pizza pan with olive oil (or spray with nonstick spray), then top with pizza dough. Use your hands to press dough across pan.
- Spread pesto evenly over dough, leaving a 1-inch border around the edge.
- Sprinkle about ¾ of the Italian blend cheese over the pesto.
- Top cheese with onion, red peppers, artichoke hearts, olives, and sun dried tomatoes.
- Sprinkle remaining Italian blend cheese over veggies, then top with feta.
- Bake pizza on lowest rack for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until crust is browned and crisp and toppings are hot.
- Cut pizza into wedges, then serve hot. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
