Pesto Pizza with Arugula, Artichokes & White Beans

Pizza is the ultimate comfort food.

For this recipe, I decided to try the oh-so-popular Trader Joe’s frozen cauliflower pizza crust and I was not disappointed! I’ve made cauliflower pizza dough from scratch several times but it’s a bit more tedious than I felt necessary at the end of a super busy week. If you’re not a huge cauliflower fan, please don’t write this recipe off just yet. I promise you would never know that it’s made from cauliflower.

Not your average heavy greasy pizza.

In the spirit of maximizing the nutritional capacity of this lightened up pizza, I topped it with a fancy mix of artichoke hearts, arugula, and red onions, along with some white beans and basil walnut pesto for good measure. I was beyond satisfied with the flavors of the spring vegetables and the textural variety they provided, but feel free to accessorize your pie according to your personal style.

Enjoy the long weekend, friends!

Pesto Pizza with Arugula, Artichokes & White Beans

For the pizza:
1 Trader Joe’s Cauliflower pizza crust (or your favorite dough)
1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 14-ounce can quartered artichoke hearts
2 cups loosely packed arugula
1/4 cup sliced red onion
2 tbsp. walnuts, chopped

For the Basil Walnut Pesto:
4 cups basil, chopped & loosely packed
1 cup walnuts
2 tsp Himalayan salt
1 tbsp lemon juice or half a lemon
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (omit for vegan option)
1/2 cup olive oil

For the pesto: Add the basil, walnuts, salt, lemon juice, and Parmesan (if using) to a food processor. Pulse until you have a crumbly paste. With the processor still running, drizzle in the olive oil. Pour the pesto into a jar and set to the side.

Cook pizza crust according to directions. When crispy and golden, spread crust with pesto to coat and top with white beans, red onion and artichoke hearts. Place under the broiler for 4-5 minutes. Remove and top with arugula and walnuts. Enjoy!