Black Pesto, Roasted Tomatoes, Baby Spinach, Shredded Mozzarella
Chef Yusef Walker of Dolo’s Pizza | Atlanta
Adapted by StarChefs | april 2023
INGREDIENTS
Black Pesto:
Yield: 1 quart
1½ cups extra virgin olive oil
3 ounces garlic cloves
⅖ ounce activated charcoal
½ ounce salt
Ground black pepper
4 bunches Thai basil
4 ounces grated parmesan
Roasted Tomatoes:
1 pound heirloom grape tomatoes
5 sprigs thyme
Salt
Ground black pepper
To Assemble and Serve:
Pizza dough
1 ounce baby spinach
1 ounce shredded mozzarella
METHOD
For the Black Pesto:
Heat oven to 350°F. Place oil and garlic in a shallow baking dish. Cover and roast 20 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown and fragrant. Let cool. Strain and reserve oil and garlic separately. In a food processor, combine roasted garlic, charcoal, salt, basil, parmesan, and 2 ounces water. Purée until smooth. Set aside.
For the Roasted Tomatoes:
Heat oven to 350°F. In a mixing bowl, toss tomatoes with 2 ounces reserved garlic oil. Add remaining ingredients. Toss to combine. Transfer tomatoes to a sheet tray. Roast 20 minutes, until tomatoes are blistered.
To Assemble and Serve:
Heat oven to 500°F. Shape pizza dough to desired shape. Spread 2 ounces Black Pesto onto dough. Top with spinach, 10 Roasted Tomatoes, and mozzarella. Bake until dough has risen and crust is golden brown.
