Why this formula works
This pizza is juicy because it uses 90 g pesto and 320 g vegetables, not because water is left uncontrolled. Zucchini and tomatoes are salted separately for 15 minutes and blotted. Only 60 g pesto bakes; 30 g is loosened with lemon and oil for a fresh finish. Pine nuts are toasted separately so none burn at pizza heat.
Honest timing
| Active preparation | 30 min |
| Hydration / proof / preheat | 1 h |
| Cooking / baking | 10 min |
| Elapsed total | 1 h 40 min |
Ingredients
- mature room-temperature pizza dough ball300 g (10.6 oz)
- thick basil pesto, divided90 g (3.17 oz)
- small firm zucchini, shaved lengthwise200 g (7.1 oz)
- ripe cherry tomatoes, halved120 g (4.2 oz)
- low-moisture mozzarella, coarsely grated130 g (4.6 oz)
- pine nuts25 g (0.88 oz)
- fresh basil leaves10 g (0.35 oz)
- fresh lemon juice8 g (0.28 oz)
- finely grated unwaxed lemon zest2 g (0.07 oz)
- extra-virgin olive oil, divided12 g (0.42 oz)
- fine sea salt, divided4 g (0.14 oz)
- freshly cracked black pepper1 g
- mild red chili flakes1 g
Equipment
- digital scale
- mandoline with hand guard or vegetable peeler
- two sieves
- clean towels
- small skillet
- pizza peel
- baking steel or heavy inverted sheet
- cooling rack
Exact method
- 1. Preheat the selected surface for the full time below. Toast pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium-low heat for 3–4 minutes, shaking constantly; cool on a plate.
- 2. Shave zucchini into 1–2 mm ribbons. Toss with 2 g salt in a sieve for 15 minutes, then squeeze gently and blot completely.
- 3. Toss halved tomatoes with 1 g salt in a second sieve for 15 minutes. Blot cut surfaces and keep them facing upward.
- 4. Mix 30 g pesto with lemon juice, lemon zest and 7 g olive oil for the post-bake dressing. Keep basil dry and cool.
- 5. Open the 300 g dough to 32 cm with a 1.5 cm rim, move to the peel and confirm sliding.
- 6. Spread remaining 60 g pesto thinly. Add mozzarella, fold zucchini ribbons loosely across it and place tomatoes cut-side up. Drizzle with remaining 5 g oil.
- 7. Bake with the loaded-pizza setup below, rotating as directed, until underside is brown, cheese bubbles and no vegetable water pools in the center.
- 8. Rack-rest 90 seconds. Spoon over lemon-pesto dressing and finish with toasted pine nuts, basil, remaining 1 g salt, pepper and chili.
How to know it is ready
- Zucchini ribbons bend and brown lightly without releasing a puddle.
- Tomato edges concentrate while cut faces stay visible.
- Center lifts cleanly despite the generous vegetable load.
- Post-bake pesto remains bright green and lemony.
Troubleshooting
- Watery center: vegetables skipped the salt-drain-blot sequence.
- Burnt pesto: all 90 g were baked; reserve 30 g.
- Bitter pine nuts: they went through pizza heat instead of a controlled skillet toast.
- Torn dough: topping took too long on the peel; prepare everything first.
How to adapt the base recipe
- For 28–30 cm, use 250 g dough, 75 g pesto, 160 g zucchini, 90 g tomatoes and 105 g mozzarella.
- For vegan pizza, use a dairy-free pesto and melting alternative, then recalculate allergens from exact products.
- For extra heat, increase chili to 2 g but keep lemon and basil unchanged.
Storage and food safety
Best immediately. Refrigerate within 2 hours for up to 2 days. Reheat the baked base uncovered, then restore fresh pesto, basil and lemon after heating.
Allergens
Gluten (wheat), Milk, Pine nuts
Always verify every label and cross-contact risk; brand formulations can change.