Chicken Pesto Pizza

Ok, I know I've already posted two pizzas, but it's one of my favorite foods.  This version was incredibly tasty.  Instead of summer squash, you could use a range of different veggies like tomato slices, zucchini, or broccoli, but having the extra veggie there helps cut some of the strong flavors in this pizza.

Ingredients

For the Chicken

1 large free-range organic chicken breast, cut into chunks

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp chicken seasoning

For the Pesto

1 cup fresh basil leaves, packed

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

3 tbsp pine nuts

2 garlic cloves

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

For the Pizza

1/2 batch of the dough recipe from here

1/2 cup grated italian cheese, I use the "Quattro Fromaggio" mix from Trader Joes

2 small summer squash, finely sliced

1 small yellow onion, cut in half and finely sliced

Method

1.  Combine all of the ingredients for the chicken into a zip lock bag, mix well, and allow to sit at room temperature for at least an hour.

2.  Put all of the ingredients for the pesto into a blender and pulse until mixed.  You may have to stir the ingredients around inside the blender to ensure all the basil leaves get mixed in.

3.  Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a nonstick pan at medium heat and add the marinated chicken.  Stir occasionally.  When the pieces are colored on all sides, remove from heat.

4.  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.  Stretch out the dough using the technique detailed here.

5.  Spread some pesto onto the dough with the back of a spoon, leaving a 1/2" border on all sides.  I ended up using about half of the pesto, leaving extra for another day.

6.  Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the pesto.

7.  Arrange the summer squash slices over the cheese.

8.  Add the chicken slices.  I aimed to place them between the summer squash slices.

9.  Sprinkle the onion pieces over the top.

10.  Cook the pizza for 15 minutes at 425 degrees, then switch the oven to broil and cook for an additional 5-7 minutes.

11.  Wait for 5-10 minutes before cutting the pizza.  Enjoy!