Fontina Pesto Pizza combines flavorful pesto with fresh tomatoes and three creamy cheeses for a restaurant-quality pizza you can make at home.
Nothing beats the aroma of freshly baked pizza swirling around your kitchen. Thirty minutes, start to finish, is all you need to get this homemade pizza on the table! So let's start cooking!
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The anticipation of a homemade pizza for dinner that’s bursting with lots of cheese and fresh tomatoes is hard to contain.
Pizza never tasted so good or looked so upscale!
All it takes is refrigerated pizza crust, jarred pesto, plum tomatoes and cheeses and you'll be just as gourmet as the best of them!
You can use the artisanal crust that I used, a regular refrigerated pizza crust, a thick crust, frozen pizza dough or even one of those shelf-stable pizza crusts that are so popular.
Plum tomatoes are always my first choice for a tomato but cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes that you slice in half lengthwise will work just fine too. Campari tomatoes are another good choice.
For the cheeses, I love the nutty flavor of Fontina cheese, the creaminess of ricotta cheese and the traditional flavor of mozzarella cheese.
But again, you can always use your favorite cheeses. Just be sure you have a variety of flavors and textures in your choices.
A good substitute for Fontina cheese is Gruyere or provolone cheese.
Homemade pesto, in my humble opinion, is the best way to go for optimum freshness and flavor. But I did use a store-bought pesto to make this recipe quick and easy.
If you opt for a store-bought pesto, my first choice would be a refrigerated pesto and next is a jarred pesto.
Friday night is always pizza night in my house. Add a tossed salad and you’re all set to start your weekend on a delicious note.
Once you taste this Fontina Pesto Pizza I know you’ll agree that your tastebuds are doing the happy dance with every bite!
Learn all about pesto, what does pesto taste like, how to make it, store it and even freeze it, along with lots more easy pesto recipes!
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How to make homemade pizza
This is a quick overview of how to make this three cheese pizza recipe. Scroll down for the full recipe instructions and ingredient amounts in the recipe card below
- Preheat oven to 400F. Coat a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray or brush with a light coating of olive oil.
- Unroll the refrigerated crust onto the prepared pan and top with pesto, Fontina, tomatoes, ricotta and mozzarella.
- Bake 20 minutes or until crust is golden and pizza is hot.
Recipe Tips
- Thin crust perfection - Roll the crust thin for a crispier base or thicker for a more doughy texture.
- Even layering - Distribute the ingredients evenly to ensure each bite has a perfect balance of flavors
- Garlic - Add crushed fresh garlic or roasted garlic before baking
Substitutions
- Artisanal Pizza Crust - I used a refrigerated artisanal pizza crust but you can substitute a regular refrigerated pizza crust. You can also top a shelf-stable premade pizza crust instead of a refrigerated pizza crust
- Pizza crust - Substitute with naan bread, flatbread, or a cauliflower crust for a gluten-free option.
- Fontina cheese - Swap with Gruyère or provolone if Fontina isn’t available
- Tomatoes - Cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise, can replace plum tomatoes. Campari tomatoes are also a good substitute for plum tomatoes
- Store-bought pesto - Store-bought pesto saves time when making this pizza but you can easily use a homemade pesto instead
- Pesto flavors - Try sun-dried tomato pesto or arugula pesto for a twist.
Storage and Reheating
- Leftovers - Store leftover pizza slices in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheating - Reheat pizza slices in a 350°F oven for 5-7 minutes, in a skillet over low heat or in your air fryer for a crispy crust.
- Freezing - Assemble the pizza without baking, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and foil, and freeze for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen, adding a few extra minutes.
Variations
- Vegetarian Supreme - Add roasted zucchini, mushrooms, and bell peppers.
- Meaty Lovers - Top with cooked chicken, crispy bacon, or prosciutto.
- Spicy - Sprinkle red chili flakes before baking or drizzle with hot honey after baking for some heat and spice.
- Fresh Herb - Garnish with fresh basil leaves, baby arugula, or microgreens before serving.
Homemade Pizza Recipes
Ingredients
Ingredients for homemade pizza
- Refrigerated pizza crust - A convenient product for this quick and easy pizza recipe.
- Pesto - Adds a fresh herb flavor
- Fontina cheese - A smooth, creamy cheese that melts beautifully and elevates your pizza with a touch of gourmet sophistication.
- Plum tomatoes - Fresh, juicy plum tomatoes add a bright burst of flavor.
- Ricotta cheese - Lends a creamy contrast that balances the sharpness of the pesto and Fontina.
- Mozzarella cheese - Adds a cheese pull and that gooey texture every pizza needs.
Fontina Pesto Pizza Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1 tube (13.8 ounces) refrigerated artisan pizza crust with whole grain or pizza crust
- 1/3 cup prepared pesto from 1 (7 oz.) jar
- 1 cup shredded Fontina cheese , 4 ounces
- 3 plum tomatoes , thinly sliced crosswise
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese , 4 ounces
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella , 2 ounces
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Coat a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray or brush with a light coating of olive oil.
- Unroll the refrigerated crust onto the prepared pan and top with pesto, Fontina, tomatoes, ricotta and mozzarella.
- Bake 20 minutes or until crust is golden and pizza is hot.
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