Pizza with Charred Cherry Tomatoes and Pesto

By maredan

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound cherry tomatoes
• 1/4 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced
• 5 basil leaves, torn
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• Pizza Dough
• 3/4 cup coarsely grated aged Gouda (3 ounces)
• 6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• Basil Pesto

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the broiler. In a medium baking dish, toss the cherry tomatoes with the panko, garlic, shallot, basil and olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Broil 6 inches from the heat for about 5 minutes, or until the tomatoes pop and brown lightly.
Preheat the oven to 500°. Set a pizza stone on the bottom of the oven and heat for at least 30 minutes.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll out each ball of Pizza Dough to a 7-inch round. Transfer two rounds to a lightly floured pizza peel. Spoon one-sixth of the cherry tomato topping on each round. Slide the pizzas onto the heated stone and bake for about 5 minutes, or until sizzling and just set. Remove from the oven and sprinkle each with 2 tablespoons of the aged Gouda and 1 tablespoon of the Parmigiano. Return the pizzas to the oven and bake for about 5 minutes longer, until the cheeses are melted and the crust is lightly browned. Drizzle with a little Basil Pesto and serve. Repeat with the remaining dough, tomato topping, cheeses and pesto.


Make Ahead
The cherry tomato topping can be refrigerated overnight; let return to room temperature before using.