• Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Housewife Eclectic

Recipes, Crafts, Book Reviews and More

  • Tutorials
  • Recipes
  • Books
  • Parenting
  • Tech Help
  • About Me
  • Printable Store

Pesto Pita Pizza and Creamy Pesto Salad with Mezzetta Memories

December 5, 2014 by Wifeeclectic 22 Comments


Thanks to Mezzetta for sponsoring today’s discussion.

 I am a pizza junkie. There, I said it. I’m proud of it too. I’ve always loved it and always will. But my husband isn’t quite as big of a fan. He likes the occasional pizza just fine, but since our oldest daughter will only eat pepperoni pizza, he is really done with it. He wants something a little more sophisticated, enter Mezzetta recipes.

Pita pizzas, using Mezzetta have been a lifesaver. Two of my husband’s biggest criticisms of pizza are the thickness of the crust and the taste of the sauce. Pita pizzas resolve both problems. He gets the thin, crispy crust he likes, and pitas really allow for a variety of sauces.

One of our favorite pita pizzas is a pesto pizza. This pizza has delicious toppings and is incredibly filling, yet doesn’t feel heavy. Using pesto as a sauce adds a richness to the flavor and makes you feel like you’re eating something new and exciting, especially for a pizza.
Best of all, it’s quick and easy to make.

My husband also likes variety with his meals. He usually wants some sort of a side, often just a vegetable. But pizza begs for something unique. A perfect pairing is a creamy pesto pasta. It’s a great cold salad that complements the flavors in the pizza.

You can get both recipes below.

Pesto Pita Pizza

INGREDIENTS
A pita for each person
2 chicken breasts
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Spinach, chopped
Olives, sliced
5 bacon strips
1-2 Roma tomatoes
Mezzetta Pesto (You can find a .50 off any Mezzetta coupon here.)
Mezzetta Olive oil
Garlic salt
Oregano

DIRECTIONS

  1. Begin by baking your bacon. Yes, baking. It’s the best. Lay the strips of bacon on a cookie sheet and bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. Flip each piece of bacon and cook for 5 more minutes. Remove the bacon and pat dry with a paper towel.
  2. Boil the chicken breasts until cooked through. Remove from the water and place in a Kitchen-Aid blender. Use the attachment to shred the chicken. Pour in enough olive oil to add a light coating to the chicken and allow it to more easily move around in the bowl. Sprinkle garlic salt and oregano to taste. Mix well.
  1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Place each pita on a pizza tray or cookie sheet. Spread olive oil lightly over the pizza, being sure to go all the way to the edges. Next, add pesto and spread well.
  1. Add the toppings: mozzarella cheese, shredded chicken, spinach, tomatoes, olives and bacon. Sprinkle a little more oregano on top for color.
  1. Bake the pizzas for 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the sides of the pita are crisp.

Creamy Pesto Salad

INGREDIENTS
1/2 pkg mini rotini
2 Tbsp. Mezzetta pesto
1 Tbsp. Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp. sour cream
Black pepper
3 green onions, sliced
Olives, sliced
Cherry tomatoes, halved
4-6 oz. mozzarella cheese, cubed
15-20 slices pepperoni, cut into eighths
DIRECTIONS
  1. Cook the pasta according to package instructions.
  1. Drain the pasta and pour cold water over it until the pasta is cold.
  1. In a separate bowl, combine the pesto, Greek yogurt and sour cream. Add a heavy dose of black pepper and mix well. (Note: You can adjust the quantities of Greek yogurt and sour cream. We struggle with too strong of a Greek yogurt flavor, but if you really like it you might adjust for more Greek yogurt and less sour cream.)
  2. Pour the sauce over the pasta and mix well. 
  3. Add the remaining ingredients and stir in.
  4. Top with black pepper.

This is a lighter meal, but still filling. It’s great in the summer and even better in the winter as a way to mix up the traditional winter dishes, which can often be heavy.

I love creating with Mezzetta products because they are of the highest quality and right now through the end of the month, you can go here daily and enter to win a Mezzetta gift basket so you can try the products for yourself. The prize includes:

• 100% Italian Estate Grown Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Golden Greek Peperoncini
• Garlic Stuffed Olives
• Castelvetrano Olives
• Pitted Greek Kalamata Olives
• Roasted Marinated Red & Yellow Sweet Bell Peppers
• Cocktail Onions
• 1 Apron (from House Party contents)
• 1 Metal Olive Spoon (from House Party contents)
• 1 Tote Bag (from House Party contents)
• 1 Ceramic Bowl

Everything you need to create your own holiday feast!
What is your favorite holiday meal?
post signature

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Tasty Tuesdays

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Masshole Mommy says

    December 5, 2014 at 7:39 pm

    That sounds delicious. Perfect for summer BBQ's.

    Reply
  2. DW2 says

    December 5, 2014 at 7:43 pm

    This sounds great! I fun twist on pizza night! Thanks!

    Reply
  3. marissa | Rae Gun Ramblings says

    December 5, 2014 at 7:55 pm

    slurp that looks good

    Reply
  4. Heather Jones says

    December 5, 2014 at 10:30 pm

    I love pesto pasta, I'm sure a pesto salad tastes amazing.

    Reply
  5. Michelle Feliciano says

    December 5, 2014 at 11:18 pm

    Both dishes look really good. I have never tried pesto on my pizza.

    Reply
  6. Sandra Shaffer says

    December 6, 2014 at 2:32 am

    Personal pita pizzas are the way to go! Everyone can have their favorite ingredients. Love the flavor of pesto!

    Reply
  7. Scott says

    December 6, 2014 at 5:52 am

    I've used a number of things for pizza crusts, but don't recall ever using a pita. Good idea!

    Reply
  8. Stephanie Pass says

    December 7, 2014 at 6:45 am

    We love Mezzetta! They make the best tame jalapenos in a jar.

    Reply
  9. BonBon Rose Girls Kristin says

    December 7, 2014 at 3:39 pm

    Mmmmm, that salad definitely looks like a crowd pleaser!

    Reply
  10. 2justByou says

    December 8, 2014 at 6:21 pm

    Mmmmm…This looks so good!

    Reply
  11. Jamie H says

    December 8, 2014 at 10:26 pm

    My whole family is crazy over pizza! I'm always looking for new pizza recipes, since we eat pizza at least once a week. Can't wait to try this one out!

    Reply
  12. Melanie @ bear rabbit bear says

    December 9, 2014 at 4:01 am

    Oh, yum! This looks delicious!

    Reply
  13. OneTIPsy Chick says

    December 9, 2014 at 4:18 am

    I'm hungry after reading your post! I love Mezzetta products!

    Reply
  14. Terri | Sugar Free Glow says

    December 9, 2014 at 11:17 am

    That looks delicious and what a great gift basket!

    Reply
  15. Britni Vigil says

    December 9, 2014 at 3:04 pm

    Everything looks delicious!

    Reply
  16. Emily Glover says

    December 9, 2014 at 3:36 pm

    This looks delicious! I love Mezzetta products, so delicious!

    Reply
  17. Kpierce says

    December 9, 2014 at 4:21 pm

    This sounds like such a delicious combination and could easily be adapted to vegan!

    Reply
  18. Michelle Nahom says

    December 9, 2014 at 6:19 pm

    We love pesto here. We usually make it fresh in the summer and freeze it but we always run out every year! I didn't know Mezzetta made pesto! I will have to be on the lookout at the grocery store now! And your pita pizza looks delicious too!

    Reply
  19. Cathy Henry Jill McEldowney says

    December 9, 2014 at 6:49 pm

    I love the idea of using the pesto as the sauce on the pita pizza!

    Reply
  20. Victoria Osborn says

    December 10, 2014 at 3:23 pm

    I'm a pizza junkie too! And pretty much anything with pesto is a winner in my book! These look amazing

    Reply
  21. malia says

    December 10, 2014 at 7:44 pm

    Beautiful salad and I think we should but stock in the company… my son eats their jalapeños like crazy!

    Reply
  22. Carisa says

    December 11, 2014 at 3:49 pm

    I love Pasta Salad and this one looks like a winner! I think I might have to throw something like this together this weekend!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Connect with Us

Facebook
Twitter
Follow Me
Instagram
Pinterest
RSS
Follow by Email

Welcome to Housewife Eclectic

Debra Hawkins - Housewife EclecticHi, I'm Debra. I am a craftaholic photographer married to a web-programming amateur chef with two sassy littles keeping it interesting. It gets crazy around here. Read More…

Archives

Copyright © 2023 · Lifestyle Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in