When a friend called me up and asked if I wanted some artichokes, I was like… ‘Um, okay…’ I can probably count the number of times I’ve ever eaten artichoke on half… let’s make that a quarter… of one hand. I don’t think I’ve ever actually seen one whole. And I most certainly have never cooked one. But all that changed this last week.
So with artichokes delivered, I had to do some quick Googling to find out how on earth you prepare and cook them, and what I could possibly make with them. The result? This utterly scrumptious Artichoke, Prosciutto & Pesto Pizza.
Thanks to BBC Good Food.com for the recipe which is a definite keeper. I loved the contrast between the starchy artichoke, salty prosciutto, nutty basil pesto and melty, stretchy Mozzarella cheese. My brother and I managed to scoff virtually the whole pizza between us!
While I prepared the artichokes myself, it really did take a heck of a lot of time and I was astonished at how small the artichoke hearts were once all the outer leaves were taken off! Lol. Do yourself a favour and do what the recipe suggests – buy a can! PS: Should you want to prepare your own artichokes (God love ya), here’s a handy link to show you how to prepare and cook them.
I stayed with the recipe as given, though I did make my own pizza base rather than buy it. I used my go-to pizza base recipe which delivers a lovely thin, crisp crust. This time though I substituted spelt flour for the standard flour which worked really well. I also used store-bought pesto as I was in a hurry, but otherwise I’d definitely prefer to make my own.
I’ll be making this again, though I’ll be hunting high and low for canned artichokes next time! Enjoy!
ARTICHOKE, PROSCIUTTO & BASIL PESTO PIZZA
Ingredients
For the pizza base:
- 150 g bread flour (I used white spelt flour)
- 1/2 tsp instant yeast from a sachet or a tub
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 100 ml warm water (90ml if using spelt flour)
- 1/2 Tbsp olive oil plus extra for drizzling
For the topping:
- 4 tomatoes (12oz, skinned, seeded and finely)
- chopped (I used a 400g can of peeled tomatoes)
- 3 tbsp green pesto , divided
- About 260g jar artichoke hearts or baby artichokes in oil, halved (I cooked 4 fresh artichokes)
- 50 g prosciutto
- 150 g mozzarella, grated or sliced
- 25 g freshly grated parmesan (I didn't use)
- 2 tbsp oil from the artichoke jar (I used extra virgin olive oil)
Instructions
- Heat oven to 230°C (445°F) and put a baking sheet (or pizza stone) onto the baking tray on the middle shelf. The pre-heated baking sheet or pizza stone will help crisp up the base.
For the pizza base
- Put the flour into a bowl, then stir in the yeast and salt. Make a well, pour in the warm water and the olive oil and bring together with a wooden spoon until you have a soft, fairly sticky dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for a few minutes or until smooth. If not using immediately, put aside and cover with a tea-towel (it doesn’t need to rise, as it’s a thin crust anyway).
- On a floured surface, roll out the dough into 1 large thin round using a rolling pin. Lift the dough onto a lined baking sheet.
For the topping:
- Spread 2 tablespoons of the pesto over the pizza, followed by the tomatoes, leaving a bare rim around the edge.
- Scatter the artichokes and prosciutto over top.
- Cover with the mozzarella and sprinkle with the Parmesan and some freshly ground black pepper.
- Mix the remaining pesto with the artichoke oil and drizzle over top.
- Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until the base is cooked through and the cheese has melted. Serve immediately.
Looks delicious as always. I have a friend growing artichokes in her garden, they look like great big thistles. She has just bottled some in oil, very complicated as they have to be cooked and you only use the very centres I believe. Much easier to buy a jar already done and a great idea to put on pizza which I have never done before.
Hi Lee. Lovely to hear from you. Yes, the effort you have to go to in order to get the artichoke hearts is fairly epic! Next time a jar!