Mealtime Magic: Pesto Pizza for Backyard Barbecues

Want to add a touch of ethnic flair to your next backyard gathering? Try serving a delicious, easy-to-make pesto pizza. With summer in full swing and home gardens at their peak, now is a great time to grab a bunch of that fresh basil you’ve been growing and turn it into something wonderful.

Demetrios Haralambatos, executive chef at Kontos Foods, a New Jersey provider of Mediterranean flatbreads and other foods, has developed this recipe just for backyard cooks. These personal-sized pizzas are simple to make. Toast them up outside on the grill, cut and serve.

4 Kontos Pizza Parlor Crusts
3 cups fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup shredded, or crumbled, cheese for topping – try Mozzarella, Feta, Asiago, or other favorite.

1. Pre-heat your outdoor grill, to high heat, with cover down.
2. In a food processor, blend together basil leaves, nuts, garlic, and Parmesan cheese. Pour in olive oil slowly while still mixing. Stir in salt and pepper.
3. Spoon pesto mixture onto each Pizza Parlor Crust, spreading evenly.
4. Top with shredded or crumbled cheese.
5. Place all four pizzas on the grill. Cover, heat for 2 minutes. or until crust reaches desired crispiness.
6. Remove from grill, place on cutting board. Using a pizza cutter, cut into wedges and serve.

Note: Don’t have a green thumb? No worries!  Just pick up a jar of ready-made pesto sauce, located in your grocer’s aisle near the other pasta sauces.

“Hot summer days and balmy nights are the perfect time for backyard gatherings. This special pesto pizza recipe goes great with a crispy white wine, such as a Soave, or, pair it with a Pinot Noir, light Chianti or Rose,” said Steve Kontos, vice president and owner of Kontos Foods. “The best thing is, you can make or buy pesto sauce ahead of time, and create these pizzas for guests in just a few minutes – no hot oven required!”

Kontos 7-inch Pizza Parlor Crusts come five to a pack. Kontos sells its products to retailers and foodservice establishments across North America and around the world. Find Kontos Foods on Twitter @KontosFoods, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Kontosfoods and on Pinterest at https://www.pinterest.com/kontosfoods/.

About Kontos Foods
Founded in 1987, Kontos Foods, Inc. is a Paterson, New Jersey-based provider of traditional Mediterranean foods for restaurants, hotels, food service, retail specialty stores and supermarkets worldwide. The family-owned company specializes in hand-stretched flatbreads, including the Kontos Pocket-Less Pita®, Fillo dough, pastries, olives, gyro meats, and Greek yogurts, as well as over 50 varieties of multi-ethnic flatbreads. Kontos, which has over 225 employees and was founded by Evripides (Evris) Kontos with his son Steven, together bring over 100 years’ experience in the premium food industry. The company’s bread and Fillo products are made in the USA. Visit www.kontos.com or call (973) 278-2800.