Chicken Pesto Pita Pizza
Pizza! For years after changing the way we ate, we tried so many Paleo-friendly pizza dough variations in search of a recipe that we thought was amazing. We missed pizza so much. This crust recipe finally convinced us that we’d landed on something special. A hybrid between a flatbread and a tortilla, it serves as an excellent vessel for a variety of toppings. You can also grill it, like we do in our recipe for Grilled Hawaiian Vibes Pizza. For this pesto version, the crusts are cooked either in a cast-iron skillet or on an indoor grill pan, and then toppings are added before warming the pizzas in the oven. Even better, make a few crusts ahead of time for meal prepping, store them in the refrigerator and your weeknight dinner just got that much easier.
Ingredients
yield: 2 (7-inch [18-cm]) individual pizzas
pesto chicken
- 6 to 7 chicken tenderloins
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 3 tbsp 45 ml Toasted Pine Nut Arugula Pesto, divided
pizza crusts
- ½ cup 120 ml plus 2 tbsp (30 ml) plain unsweetened almond milk
- 2 tbsp 24 g ghee
- ¾ cup 100 g cassava flour, plus additional as needed
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- Avocado oil spray as needed
- 2 tbsp 30 ml Toasted Pine Nut Arugula Pesto
optional toppings
- Arugula as needed
- Quartered cherry tomatoes as needed
- Toasted pine nuts as needed
- Crispy pancetta as needed
- Balsamic reduction here, as needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C).
- Line a 13 x 18–inch (33 x 45–cm) baking sheet with parchment paper.
- To make the pesto chicken, pat the chicken tenderloins dry with paper towels and place them in a small bowl.
- Sprinkle the chicken with the salt and add 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of the Toasted Pine Nut Arugula Pesto.
- Toss the chicken tenderloins to coat them.
- Allow them to come to room temperature.
- Cook the chicken tenderloins over medium heat on an indoor grill pan or in a cast-iron skillet until they are no longer pink inside and their internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C).
- Place them in a medium bowl and toss them with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the Toasted Pine Nut Arugula Pesto to coat them.
- Set the chicken aside.
- To make the pizza crusts, pour the almond milk into a small saucepan and add the ghee.
- Warm the mixture over low heat until the ghee is just melted, which should take 2 to 3 minutes, but keep an eye on the mixture to make sure it doesn’t boil.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cassava flour, salt and garlic powder.
- Then pour in the warm almond milk–ghee mixture and stir to combine the ingredients and form a dough.
- Once the dough is cool enough, pick it up and knead it with your hands until it is a smooth ball.
- Lightly dust a medium piece of parchment paper with additional cassava flour.
- Divide the dough in half—or, if you like a really thin crust, divide the dough into thirds—and place one-half of the dough on the prepared parchment paper, then lay another medium piece of parchment paper on top of the dough.
- Roll the dough into a circle that is approximately 7 inches (18 cm) in diameter and about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick.
- Repeat this process with the remaining dough.
- Spray the dough with a bit of the avocado oil.
- Preheat an indoor grill pan or large, dry cast-iron skillet over medium heat.
- Add one circle of dough, oil side down, to the grill pan and cook the first side for 4 to 6 minutes, until it has some golden-brown spots.
- Flip the crust over and cook the other side for 3 to 5 minutes.
- Remove the crust from the pan and set it aside.
- Repeat this process with the remaining circle of dough.
- To assemble the pizzas, spread 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of the Toasted Pine Nut Arugula Pesto on each crust.
- Shred the pesto chicken and divide it between the crusts, laying the chicken on top of the pesto.
- Place the crusts on the prepared baking sheet and bake the pizzas for 7 to 9 minutes, or until they are warmed through.
- Now, you can add the optional toppings of your choice.
- We prefer a bit of spicy arugula, cherry tomatoes, toasted pine nuts, pancetta and a drizzle of the balsamic reduction.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
The possibilities are endless, so add your favorite toppings and serve the pizzas immediately!
