Pesto is one of my favorite foods.

I love classic pesto pasta.

But I also like to get creative with pesto, as these Pesto Flatbread Pizzas demonstrate.

Pesto Flatbread Pizzas

Pesto Flatbread Pizzas: The Toppings

The toppings are the most unique element of these pesto flatbread pizzas.  Roasted potatoes and chickpeas aren’t typically found on pizza. But they’re both quintessential toppings in our house, a carry-over from my three years as a vegan.  Though I’m not currently vegan, a pizza still doesn’t feel complete without roasted potatoes and chickpeas.  Both add great flavor and texture to any pizza.

Roasted potatoes, chickpeas, and pesto alone make a great meal.  But add tomatoes, mozzarella, and Parmesan—and put in all on top of a flatbread—and you’ve got a pizza you’ll crave regularly.

Pesto Flatbread Pizzas

At least I do.

If only I could look as classy as Sophia Loren while making them.

Sophia Loren cooking
Old Hollywood and Italian cinema star, Sophia Loren, is an accomplished cook. Click to find her latest cookbook on Amazon [aff. link].

A Few Things!

I use Trader Joe’s Naan bread for these pesto flatbread pizzas.  If you have a Trader Joe’s nearby, I recommend using their naan.

Trader Joe's Naan

The Pesto in Pesto Flatbread Pizzas

Don’t take a shortcut by using store-bought pesto.

Just don’t.

Make my classic pesto as the recipe instructs.  You’ll taste the difference immediately, and never go back to store-bought pesto.

Pesto Flatbread Pizzas

Grate the Cheese Yourself

Take the few extra minutes to freshly grate all the cheese in this recipe yourself. Pre-grated cheese just doesn’t melt the way freshly grated cheese does.  And it’s full of potato starch and natamycin.

Never heard of natamycin?

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Simply put, you don’t want it in your cheese.  Read more about natamycin here.

Parmesan is a crucial ingredient in the pesto and on top of the Pesto Flatbread Pizzas.  So be sure to buy a block of Parmigiano Reggiano.

If it doesn’t say “reggiano,” or says anything other than “reggiano,” it’s not real Parmesan.  Parmigiano reggiano is known as “the king of cheese” for a reason.  The flavor and texture can’t be beat.  Skip on any other alternatives, including grana padano, and get the real thing.

Pesto Flatbread Pizzas
5 from 4 votes

Pesto Flatbread Pizzas

These Pesto Flatbread Pizzas are unique.  Homemade pesto, roasted potatoes, and chickpeas make them filling and delicious.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time17 minutes
Total Time47 minutes
Servings: 6
Print Recipe

Ingredients

For the potatoes:

  • 1 ½ pounds potatoes, diced to ½ inch pieces (preferably a non-peel potato variety, like Yukon gold; don't use sweet potatoes, the flavor won't match)
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • ⅛ tsp pepper
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil

For the pesto:

  • ¾ cup pine nuts
  • 2-3 garlic cloves
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 4 cups basil, rinsed
  • ⅓ cup Pecorino, freshly grated or ground
  • ⅓ cup Parmesan, freshly grated or ground
  • ¾ cup olive oil

For the cheese:

  • 8 oz mozzarella, freshly grated
  • 2 oz parmesan, freshly grated or ground

Everything else:

  • 1 15 oz can garbonzo beans, drained
  • Handful of Cherry Tomatoes, sliced
  • 6 flatbreads

Instructions

Prepare the potatoes

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
  • Place the diced potatoes on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle the salt and pepper over the top, then drizzle with olive oil.
  • Toss the potatoes, salt, pepper, and olive oil together until the potatoes are evenly coated with all the seasonings.
  • Now spread the potatoes out on the baking sheet with enough space between each piece so they aren’t touching. (If the potatoes are too close together, they will steam, not roast.)

Roast the potatoes

  • Roast the potatoes for 15 minutes.
  • Take the baking sheet out of the oven, toss the potatoes so a different side of each piece is face down on the baking sheet. Roast for anther 12-15 minutes, until the potatoes are golden brown.
  • While the potatoes roast, you can slice the tomato, grate the cheese, and make the pesto.

Make the pesto

  • To the bowl of your food processor/preferred processing apparatus, add the pine nuts and garlic cloves.
  • Pulse a few times, then process until the pine nuts and garlic are mostly smooth and combined.
  • Now add the basil and sea salt to the pine nut/garlic mixture. Process again until a green paste forms.
  • Now add the Pecorino and Parmesan. Process until the cheeses have completely incorporated.
  • Last, add the olive oil to the food processor. Process until the olive oil incorporates completely into the rest of the ingredients. Pesto is done.

Assemble the flatbreads

  • With an offset spatula, spread a nice amount of pesto onto each flatbread. I reccomend using 2-3 Tbsp per flatbread.
  • Now sprinkle the mozzarella and Parmesan over the pesto.
  • Next, distribute the potatoes and garbanzo beans evenly across each flatbread.
  • Last, put a few tomato slices on top of each flatbread.

Bake the flatbreads

  • Bake the flatbreads at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes, until the flatbread is golden on the edges, and the cheese is completely melted.

Serve and enjoy!

  • Allow the flatbreads to cool for a few minutes before serving.
  • Serve alone as a snack, or make it a meal with a salad like this one. This is a great meal for lunch or dinner.

Notes

This recipe is vegetarian.
This recipe can be vegan if you omit the cheese from the pesto and use vegan cheese instead of mozzarella and Parmesan on the flatbread.
This recipe can be gluten-free if you use a gluten-free bread instead of the flatbread.
Don’t use store-bought pesto.  Take the time to make it yourself, as per the recipe instructions.