Are you ready to change up your pizza toppings? Our Vegan Pear and Pistachio Pesto Pizza is here to rescue you from pizza monotony! With pistachio pesto, caramelized onions, creamy vegan mozzarella, pear slices, fresh arugula, and a drizzle of tangy balsamic glaze, this flavor-packed pizza is a must-try.
Pizza night is a weekly occurrence at our house. Saturdays are always reserved for 100% Biga Neapolitan Pizza Dough Recipe that we make in the Ooni, but for a faster weekday pizza, we like to make this pistachio pesto and pear pizza.
So, if your taste buds are craving a twist or it just happens to be October (National Pizza Month in the US since 1987), it’s time to say goodbye to the usual pizza sauce, traditional cheese, and tired toppings—for now, at least!
This pizza is delicious with a sweet-meets-savory mashup. With caramelized onions, vegan mozzarella, and a pistachio pesto that uses pistachios instead of the traditional pine nuts – it's a combo so good that your regular pizza might get jealous!
For other delicious recipes using pesto, try Lemon Artichoke Pesto Pasta and Lemon Artichoke Pesto Pasta.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Flavor: The combination of creamy pistachio pesto, sweet pear slices, and tangy balsamic glaze creates a mouthwatering taste experience.
- Easy Peasy: You can quickly whip up this pizza with simple, fresh ingredients and minimal prep time.
- Versatile: Perfect for a dinner party as an appetizer or a casual weeknight meal. Plus, it's vegan, so everyone can enjoy it, and no one will be the wiser!
- Impress Your Guests: The unique flavor combo and elegant presentation will make you look like a culinary master.
- Leftovers: Tastes great the next day, so you can savor the goodness all over again.
Recipe Ingredients
Let's put on our apron and look at the ingredients for this pistachio pesto, pear, and arugula pizza. While this recipe is flexible with quantities, see the recipe card for the suggested measurements.
Ingredient Notes
- Pistachios: Use raw or roasted pistachios as a garnish and in the pistachio pesto. Note that the roasted pistachios result in a stronger flavor.
- Balsamic Glaze Vs. Maple Syrup: You can use either as a topping. Using balsamic glaze adds a sweet, tangy, rich complexity to your pistachio pesto pear pizza, while maple syrup brings a sweet, cozy warmth that I love.
- Mozzarella: In my opinion, Miyoko's mozzarella block has the best flavor and texture for this pizza. I break it up into chunks or slice it thinly. To shred it easily, freeze the block first, as it's too soft to shred otherwise. While the pre-shredded mozzarella version is convenient, I find it less flavorful, and the texture isn't quite as good, but it's a decent option if you're in a pinch.
- Pizza Crust: I like to use the Trader Joe's Pizza crust for convenience (there is no link for it on the Trader Joe's site), but use any premade you want. Trader Joe's also sells the dough. If you're looking for a vegan, gluten-free pizza crust, try the Trader Joe's Gluten-Free Pizza Crust.
How To Make Pear and Pistachio Pesto Pizza
Follow the pictures below to see what you'll be doing. See the recipe card for details.
Preheat the oven to 475°F (250°C).
Step 1: Saute the onions in olive oil for 10 to 15 minutes until they become caramelized. Stir occasionally to keep them from burning.
Step 2: While the onions are cooking, prepare the pistachio pesto. This takes five minutes.
Step 3: Brush a little olive oil on the pizza. Then, spread a layer of pesto, caramelized onions, pears, arugula, and vegan mozzarella.
Step 4: Place on a pizza pan, baking sheet, or for a crisper crust, directly on an oven rack or pizza stone. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown edges appear. Top with balsamic glaze or maple syrup and some soaked and drained pistachios.
Recipe Tips
- If you're allergic to nuts or want to avoid them, use Sunflower Seed Pesto as an alternative to the pistachio pesto.
- Use a mandoline to slice the pear into perfectly thin slices that cook perfectly in the oven in 10 minutes.
- I break up the vegan mozzarella into chunks and shredded it. To shred the Miyoko's mozzarella block, freeze it for a few hours.
- This recipe is flexible, so you can easily adjust the quantities to suit your taste.
Ripe Pears
Pick a pear that is ready to eat when it gives slightly to gentle pressure near the stem. If the area around the stem feels soft and yields a bit, it's ripe and ready to enjoy.
Serving Suggestions
Pizza is usually all you need to achieve ultimate life satisfaction. But if you’re feeling extra fancy, here are some serving suggestions:
- Simple Side Salad - Because sometimes you need a little more to balance out the pizza. Use this delicious Classic French Salad Dressing to top it off.
- Garlic Bread: More carbs? Just this once.
- Soup and Slice: For those days when you want to feel like you're in a cozy café. Try it with Vegan White Lasagna Soup or One Pot Vegan Minestrone.
- Fruit: Enjoy a fruit salad on the side to experience the delightful contrast of warm and cold flavors.
- Dessert Finale: Top it off with a dessert like Vegan Chocolate Pudding Parfait because there’s always room for dessert.
Storage and Reheating
- Storage: If you’ve managed to resist eating the whole pizza (kudos to you!), store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. It’ll stay well for up to 3 days.
- Reheating Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Place the pizza slices on a baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes or until heated and crispy.
- Stovetop: Pop the pizza slice in a skillet over medium heat. Cover with a lid and cook for 5-7 minutes until warm and the crust is nice and crispy.
- Microwave: For a quick fix, microwave your slice on a microwave-safe plate for 1-2 minutes. Not as crispy, but still delicious!
Additions and Variations
- Use the Follow Your Heart Vegan Blue Cheese as a substitute or addition to the vegan mozzarella. It's strong, adding a nice, bold flavor to the pizza. Use sparingly, though - it's potent cheese.
- Skip baking the arugula and add it fresh after the pizza is cooked. Drizzle with balsamic glaze, and voila! You’ve got a delightful salad pizza combo!
- Use Miyoko's liquid mozzarella as a substitute or in addition to the block of mozzarella cheese. While I find it doesn't add much more flavor, it adds a pretty element to the pizza when drizzled over the top.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store leftover pizza in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat by baking at 350°F for 10 minutes, cooking in a covered skillet for 5-7 minutes, or microwaving for 1-2 minutes.
More Vegan Recipes You'll Love
What did you think?
Got a minute? Dive into the comments and rate this Pear and Pistachio Pesto Pizza to let me know how it turned out for you. Was it a hit? Any twists you added? I want to know if my directions were any good. Follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for inspiration.
PrintRecipe
Pear and Pistachio Pesto Pizza
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 8 slices 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Are you ready to change up your pizza toppings? Our Vegan Pear and Pistachio Pesto Pizza is here to rescue you from pizza monotony. With pistachio pesto, caramelized onions, creamy vegan mozzarella, pear slices, fresh arugula, and a drizzle of tangy balsamic glaze, this flavor-packed pizza is a must-try.
Ingredients
- 2 Trader Joe's Pizza crusts (or any pizza crust you want)
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium yellow onion, sliced thin
- 1 batch of pistachio pesto
- 1 Bosc pear, thinly sliced*
- 1 cup arugula
- ½ cup of vegan mozzarella (~½ of a block of Miyokos Mozzarella)**
- ½ cup crushed roasted and salted pistachios, soaked for 10-15 minutes
- drizzle of maple syrup or balsamic glaze
Instructions
- Prepare: Preheat the oven to 475°F (250°C). Soak the pistachios in warm water for 15 minutes while you prepare the following.
- Caramelize Onions: Add two to three tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a medium pan. Cook onions, stirring frequently, for 10 - 15 minutes until they begin to caramelize and turn golden.
- Make Pesto: Make this easy 5-minute pistachio pesto in a food processor while cooking onions.
- Assemble and Bake: Prepare the pizza crust by lightly brushing the top of the crust with oil. Spread pesto evenly over the crust. Top with caramelized onions, arugula, pears, and vegan mozzarella. Place on a pizza pan, baking sheet, or for a crisper crust directly on oven rack or stone, and bake for 10 minutes until the edges begin to golden.
- Serve: Remove the pizza from the oven and top with soaked and drained crushed pistachios, balsamic glaze, or maple syrup. You can also top it with fresh basil leaves. Serve immediately.
Notes
The Trader Joe's Pizza Crust is great for this recipe, but use any pizza crust you would like. It's also great to use flatbread for mini personalized pizzas.
You have some options with the cheese. Use Miyoko's mozzarella block for a mild flavor and great texture. You can add or substitute with the Follow Your Heart Blue Cheese for a stronger flavor - but add sparingly as the flavor is really strong, but oh so good.
**If you want to buy the shredded mozzarella for convenience, only do so in a pinch. The Miyoko's block offers a better texture and flavor.
You also have options with the pesto. Note that this pistachio pesto is super quick to make and has only a few ingredients. And if you're looking for a quick nut free version, try Sunflower Seed Pesto. The Trader Joe's Kale, Cashew, Basil Pesto is a great option if you're looking for store-bought version.
*For pizza, the best types of pears are Bartlett, Bosc, or Anjou. These varieties are firm enough to hold their shape when baked yet juicy and sweet enough to complement the other flavors on this pizza. Use ripe but not overly ripe pears.
You don’t have to soak the pistachios to the top of your pizza, but I find that soaking them for a few minutes softens them, giving a better chew for this pizza. Feel free to keep them crunchy if you want.
Raw pistachios work too, but they don't have the flavor impact of roasted and salted pistachios.
I highly recommend using a mandoline to get the pears as thin as possible for the best flavor and texture.
Nutritional information is an estimate based on the Trader Joe's Pizza Crust and Miyokos mozzarella.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10
- Category: main course
- Method: oven
- Cuisine: American
Shelly says
I was skeptical when my boyfriend said he was making this at first but it was so good! Loved the combo of flavors. It was also super easy and fast to make. Thanks for the recipe.
Regi Pearce says
That's wonderful to hear Shelly! Thanks for the comment and so glad you loved it.