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Sharing one of my favorite cheesy pizzas, Garden Greens Goddess Pizza. This is the early summer pizza we all should be making. Homemade pizza dough topped with spicy homemade “goddess” style basil pesto, shredded kale, creamy cheese, and garden-fresh zucchini. Roast everything up in a super hot oven until the zucchini becomes almost chip-like, the cheese is melty and bubbly, and the crust is golden and perfect. Once out of the oven, top with fresh basil for the most delicious garden-style summery pizza.
As we enter into the early summer months, I’m really looking forward to cooking (and baking) with fresh produce. I love seeing what’s growing in everyone’s gardens and what the local farm stands and markets are carrying. When I made this pizza last week, we were experiencing some very beautiful spring weather and I was so inspired to cook with the overflowing produce in my fridge.
I wanted something light, fresh, and colorful. A fun recipe that would incorporate the herbs we are currently growing in our garden. Sure, it’s a bit early for gardens to be producing an abundance of zucchini and kale, but soon enough…I’m just helping us all prepare!
Speaking of gardens, are any of you tending to gardens this season? It’s tricky trying to grow produce here where we live in Colorado. If not covered, there are many nights where the produce will freeze. Even during the hottest month of the year. But I’m excited to already have herbs in full bloom and leafy greens on the way…all thanks to our greenhouse!
When it comes to cooking in the summer months, I tend to keep things simple. That means creating recipes with lots of produce. After months of quarantined cooking, it’s going to be nice to lighten things up a bit.
Enter this pizza, it still feels hearty and crave-worthy, but yet it incorporates so much fresh produce and flavorful herbs. It’s going to be perfect for busy summer nights when you have tons of greens, zucchini, and basil in the fridge.
Which is how this pizza came to be. It was created using the contents of my fridge, our herb-garden, and the abundance of homemade goat cheese we now have. My favorite recipes are always the ones created on the fly.
As with most of my pizza recipes, this is simple. And you can easily swap ingredients dependent on your tastes and what you have on hand.
Start with the dough. I like to use my homemade pizza dough recipe from the HBH Super Simple cookbook. It’s the easiest to make and truly delicious. If you can think a few hours ahead of time, I’d recommend making your own dough. If not, store-bought pizza dough works great too (Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s both have great options)!
Once you have your dough figured out, it’s time to make pizza…and a spicy, lemony basil pesto too.
For the pesto, I used a mix of fresh basil and dill, but I often swap the fresh dill for mint, so use whichever you prefer. I like to add lots of lemon to my pesto, and for this pesto, a spicy jalapeño pepper too. Of course, if you don’t love spicy food, you can simply omit the jalapeño from the pesto.
If you’ve never made pesto before, it’s easy. You simply blend fresh herbs with parmesan cheese, olive oil, and a pinch of salt in either a blender or food processor. It’s easy and worth the extra five minutes’ time. That said, if you don’t have lots of fresh basil on hand, feel free to use your favorite store-bought pesto.
Once the pesto is made, roll out the pizza dough and layer on the toppings.
Spread on a heavy layer of pesto, add lots of shredded kale, crumbled goat cheese, and plenty of melty fontina cheese. Now…the next step is key. Cut the zucchini (or yellow summer squash) into ribbons using a vegetable peeler (or just thinly slice the zucchini into rounds). Getting the zucchini thinly sliced is key. It bakes up atop the pizza and turns almost “chip” like. It’s delicious and a fun way to switch up the average way you might cook with zucchini.
Once everything is layered onto the pizza dough, simply bake in a super hot oven. Ten or so minutes later dinner is done. You’ll have cheesy pizza with all the vegetables and your kitchen with smell pretty darn good too.
Finish with a large handful of fresh basil leaves, slice, and enjoy! Simple, yet perfect. A low-key dinner at home that feels fun and even a little fancy(ish) too.
So with that, what do you all think? Tuesday night pizza? Promise it’s going to be fun, and most importantly, so very GOOD.
Looking for other fun pizza night recipes? Some favorites of mine include…
Pesto Zucchini and Peach Pizza with Burrata
Herbed Butter Heirloom Tomato Pizza
Pepper and Cherry Tomato White Pizza
Garlic and Herb Roasted Cherry Tomato Pizza with Caramelized Onions
Lastly, if you make this garden greens goddess pizza, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Perfect combination of 2 things I love: homemade pizza and my herb garden! I am growing rosemary, thyme, sage, basil, mint and lemon verbena.
Wow that sounds like an amazing herb garden! I am so glad you got to use some for this! xTieghan
Your photos are beauteous works of art. They are like therapy to my heart, mind and foodie soul!
Thank you!
Thanks for the recipe! Would never have thought to use kale and zucchini on a pizza otherwise ❤Used feta cheese and tomato sauce instead, which worked a treat as well! Sooo good!
So happy to hear that! Thank you Marie!
HI Teagan,
I love your recipes and use them frequently. I was just going over the Green Goddess Pizza with Basil Pesto, no basil pesto here at home since we just had our wedding on site I’m behind in my canning, and my KALE PESTO (1 jar left from last season) production. I never see kale pesto used in recipes, we use it often for many things but always as a base for our pizza. Making this recipe tonight with that slight alteration and hoping to get going on this years supply of kale pesto.
Ah thats so exciting, I hope you loved it Susan!
My God I Love Pizza that wonderful recipe despite being very exotic view in the Brazilian culture to which I follow.
SO cool your going through my recipes!! (: Thank you and hope you love them all!! (:
What kind of dough do you use? It looks perfect!
Hey Kristen! I use the pizza dough in the recipe linked, I love it!
Pizza Dough: https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/apple-and-caramelized-onion-pizza-with-pumpkin-seed-pangrattato/
This pizza is absolutely gorgeous. Almost too pretty to eat, but I’d gobble a bite or 12!
Thank you Christy!!
This is a must make, I’ll have to add some grilled chicken or no one will eat it. Long live Niko! We had a kitten that would jump in the freezer (side by side) every time you opened it. Unfortunately the ice shoot was broke, so the door was opened by many people (think teen boys=oblivious)…heart breaking
Oh my gosh! Thats scary! Sorry! I hope the kitten was okay!
Grilled chicken sounds delish!
Oh my gosh–that poor poor kitty! I’m so glad he’s okay! 🙂
Anyways, this pizza looks so green and gorgeous! My Wednesday was full of work and all, but it’s been pretty good–I love working as a part-time sales associate! But when I get the chance, I would love to make this pizza!
Thanks Cass!!
Sounds fun! Totally hope you get to make this pizza!!
Oh my goodness, what a story! So glad Asher is reunited with her cat! 🙂 And this pizza is so gorgeous, I love all those greens!
We are too!! Thanks Laura! So happy you like it!
I love how many veggies are loaded onto this pizza!
Loads of greens but still looks so yummy with the cheese!
Thanks Mitch!!
Oh my word girl, THE SAME EXACT THING HAPPENED TO US. My cat had a kitten and when he was about three months old he did the same car trick. We drove all the way to town (live in the country), ran errands all day, and at our last stop we saw a little yellow thing run out from under the car. It was him! Bless his heart he was terrified. A-okay though! Another of our cats also went missing and came back eight months later. EIGHT. MONTHS. I swear they really do have nine lives.
Oh my gosh!! I would have never thought that would happen to anyone else!! Even crazier!! 8 Months!!!!!!! WOW! I’m so happy they’re both okay!
OMG the cat!! He’s had the biggest adventure of his life. I wish he could talk and tell us all about it! I’m so glad he’s alright because I wanted to cry right along with Asher. And I am so super obsessed with this pizza. I’m going to make it ASAP!
Haha! Wouldn’t that be so amazing!! I bet it would be quite the story! I hope you LOVE the pizza thanks Sarah!
So glad you found Nico.
To this pizza, love fontina and such a beauty.
Thanks we are too!! So happy you like the pizza!