Ready-made flatbread makes quick and easy pizza appetizers. Treat your guests to a flavorful surprise with a few special ingredients, including homemade pesto, crunchy, toasted walnuts, and the salty bite of prosciutto and Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Fresh pesto is a classic Italian sauce typically used in pasta dishes, but it makes a great base for pizza as well. It’s a simple, no-cook sauce loaded with the floral notes of fresh basil and extra virgin olive oil. Although it’s available in jars at the supermarket, nothing compares to the rich, bright taste of homemade pesto.
Pesto comes together in less than five minutes, but you can prepare it a day ahead and refrigerate overnight, or make it even earlier and freeze until the day before you need it. If you prepare the pesto ahead of time, omit the Parmigiano-Reggiano until you’re ready to use the sauce. Stir it in when the chilled sauce has come to room temperature.
See a recipe for homemade pesto at Pasta Sauce Recipes: Classic Sauces with Few Ingredients.
Flatbread Pizza with Pesto, Bell Pepper, Prosciutto, and Walnuts
Makes 4 Pizzas (16 appetizer slices)
Ingredients:
- 4 pieces of round or oval flatbread, 7-8 inches in diameter at the widest part
- olive oil, for brushing
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup fresh pesto
- 1 medium red bell pepper, sliced into thin, 1/2-inch strips
- 3 oz thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into 1-inch strips
- 1/2 cup samll, broken pieces of walnuts
- Parmigiano-Reggiano, for grating
Preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 375° F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or nonstick foil (or lightly oiled regular aluminum foil).
- Lay the flatbread pieces on the baking sheet and brush each generously with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Divide the pesto and spread on each piece of flatbread, leaving about a 1/4-inch border around the edges.
- Divide the red bell pepper strips and scatter on top of the pesto, then scatter the prosciutto and walnuts over all.
- Grate Parmigiano-Reggiano over each pizza and bake until the flatbread is golden and just beginning to crisp, 12-13 minutes.
- Remove to a cutting board and slice each pizza into 4 pieces. Serve hot or at room temperature.
For other party appetizer ideas, see Appetizer Recipes: Ideas for Simple, Easy Party Dishes, Holiday Appetizers: Crusted Eggplant and Fried Plantains, Spicy Crab Cake Appetizers with Lemon-Orange Aioli, and Holiday Appetizer Dips: Spicy, Sweet, and Creamy.
Pamela Steed Hill - Pamela Steed Hill is an editor, freelance writer, and home cook. She has published over 250 food articles and recipes online.
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