Pizza by Curtis Stone

Home-made pizza, with help from celebrity chef Curtis Stone.

Homemade Pizza Mozzarella Cherry Tomatoes Pesto
Homemade Pizza with Mozzarella, Cherry Tomatoes, and Pesto

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Note to chefs: All pizza recipes call for pizza stone and paddle. If you do not have a pizza stone or paddle, stretch out dough on large heavy baking sheets and bake pizzas. (Images and recipes courtesy Curtis Stone.)

Homemade Pizza with Mozzarella, Cherry Tomatoes, and Pesto

(Makes 4 servings)

For the Roasted Tomatoes

  • 12 cherry tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Pesto

  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 1/2 bunches fresh basil leaves (about 1 1/2 cups lightly packed)
  • 1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
  • 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

For the Pizzas

  • All purpose flour, for dusting
  • Two 8-ounce balls purchased pizza dough
  • 6 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese
  • 4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves

Position 1 rack in lower third of oven and 1 rack in center of oven, and set pizza stone on lower rack. Preheat oven to 500°F.

To Make Roasted Tomatoes

Lay tomatoes on nonreactive baking sheet and drizzle lightly with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast tomatoes in center of oven until they are tender and begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

To Make Pesto

Using Bump and Grind or another large mortar and pestle, smash garlic into a coarse puree. Add basil and pound until it is coarsely chopped. Add pine nuts and smash to break them up. Mix in Parmesan cheese. Slowly mix in olive oil. Season pesto to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.

To Make Pizzas

Using oven mitts, remove pizza stone from oven and set it on heatproof surface or trivet (extremely hot). Stretch 1 dough out to about 10-inch oval and lay dough over stone (dough does not have to be perfect oval).

Working quickly spread 1/4 cup of pesto sauce in thin layer over pizza dough, leaving 1/2-inch border around edge. Arrange half of roasted tomatoes over pizza. Tear mozzarella into long stringy pieces and scatter half of them over pizza. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese over pizza.

Using oven mitts, return the pizza stone to oven and bake pizza for about 10 minutes, or until crust is crisp and golden brown. Using oven mitts, remove pizza stone from oven and return it to heatproof surface. Cool for 5 minutes.

Scatter half of basil leaves over pizza. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Using pizza cutter, cut pizza into wedges and serve. Repeat to make second pizza.

Nutritional Information

Per Serving
Calories: 931
Total Fat: 46 grams
Saturated Fat: 6 grams
Sodium: 2,066 mg
Carbohydrate: 104 grams
Fiber: 5 grams
Protein: 16 grams
Diabetic Exchanges: 4.5 starch, 2 vegetable, 2 low-fat milk, 7 fat

Tomato-Kalamata Olive Pizza by Curtis Stone
Tomato-Kalamata Olive Pizza

Tomato-Kalamata Olive Pizza

(Makes 4 servings)

For the Pizza

  • 2 13-ounce balls purchased pizza dough
  • Unbleached all-purpose flour, for dusting
  • 12 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2/3 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
  • 4 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt
  • 10 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, torn into 1-inch chunks

To Make Pizza

Position oven rack in bottom third of oven. Place pizza stone* on rack and preheat oven to 500° to 550°F (as high as possible). Stretch out 1 dough ball with floured hands, or roll out with rolling pin on floured work surface until about 12 inches in diameter. Dough does not have to be perfect round. Dust pizza paddle with flour and place dough on paddle.

In medium bowl, toss tomatoes, olives, and garlic with oil to coat. Season to taste with salt. Scatter half of tomato mixture over pizza dough on paddle. Scatter half of cheese over dough then season with salt.

Carefully slide pizza off paddle and onto pizza stone in oven. Bake for 7-12 minutes, or until crust is crisp and golden brown on bottom and cheese has melted and begun to brown. Transfer pizza to cutting board. Repeat to make second pizza.

Using pizza cutter or large knife, cut pizzas into wedges and serve.

Nutritional Information

Per Serving
Calories: 978
Total Fat: 46 grams
Saturated Fat: 9 grams
Sodium: 3,082 mg
Carbohydrate: 108 grams
Fiber: 5 grams
Protein: 31 grams
Diabetic Exchanges: 4.5 starch, 2 vegetable, 2.5 low-fat milk, 6 fat

Grilled Flatbreads with Garlic-Rosemary Oil

(Makes 8 servings)

For the Garlic-Rosemary Oil

  • 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
  • 1 shallot, finely chopped
  • 1 fresh rosemary sprig
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Flatbreads

    • 1 cup warm water (110° to 115°F)
    • 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
    • 2 teaspoons sugar
    • 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
    • 2 teaspoons kosher salt

To Make Garlic-Rosemary Oil

In small saucepan, combine oil, garlic, shallot, and rosemary and heat over low heat for about
10 minutes, or until fragrant. Remove saucepan from heat and season oil to taste with salt and pepper.

To prepare flatbread dough, in small bowl, stir warm water, yeast, and sugar to blend. Set aside for about 5 minutes, or until foamy.

In food processor, combine flour and salt and process to blend. With machine running, add yeast mixture and 1 tablespoon of garlic oil and process just until dough comes together. Transfer dough to work surface and knead until smooth and elastic.

Divide dough into 8 pieces (about 3 ounces each) and shape into balls. Place dough balls on an oiled baking sheet and rub them lightly with some of the garlic oil. Cover with piece of oiled plastic wrap and let rise in warm, draft-free spot for about 45 minutes, or until doubled in size.

To Shape and Grill Flatbreads

Prepare grill for medium-high heat. Lightly oil grill grates.

Using rolling pin, roll each dough ball out on floured work surface into thin 11 x 5-inch oval (shape does not have to be perfect). Set them aside on oiled baking sheet.

Working in batches, brush flatbreads with some of the garlic oil and lay them on grill grate. Grill for about 2 minutes per side, or until grill marks form and bread is cooked through. Wrap breads in clean kitchen towel to keep them warm.

Nutritional Information

Per Serving
Calories: 344
Total Fat: 20 grams
Saturated Fat: 3 grams
Sodium: 583 mg
Carbohydrate: 35 grams
Fiber: 1 gram
Protein: 6 grams
Diabetic Exchanges: 2 bread, 4 fat

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