Traditional Italian White Pizza With Pesto

The traditional white pizza, in Italian pizza Bianca, is a pizza without tomato sauce. My favourite originates just around the corner in the Italian Riviera: Pizza with Stracchino and Pesto.

What is a white pizza

A pizza is called white when there is no tomato sauce. There are many types of white pizza, usually topped with ingredients whose taste would be overpowered by the tomato sauce.

I like white pizza, as generally, it is a vegetable celebration, and there are so many varieties of vegetables that are perfect just with cheese.

So I created a list of different pizza toppings made with Mediterranean vegetables combined with regional cheeses.

Pizza with pesto and stracchino is my first pizza, but you can also find Pizza with Artichokes, Pizza with Mushrooms and Pizza with Fresh Tomatoes.

What is Stracchino

Stracchino is one of my favourite cheeses, it is creamy, smooth and with a fresh taste. I can easily eat a kilo at once.

Stracchino is a cheese made of cow milk originated from Lombardia region. However I had my first Pizza with Stracchino at a Pizzeria in Genova, and it was a fantastic discovery. I don't even remember if it was served with Genovese Pesto, but this combination is perfect for me.

Stracchino is also called Crescenza, which is the same cheese but seasoned only for 20 to 60 days. Wherever you are in the world, you might find it in an Italian food speciality store. If you cannot find it, you can also use burrata or Mozzarella di Bufala.

Making the pizza dough

To make pizza dough I use this traditional Italian Pizza dough recipe and I find it very practical to make it in the bread machine.

If you don't have the bread machine, you can find the recipe: How to make the Pizza dough without a bread machine.

To make the pizza dough in the bread machine:

1. Pour the ingredients into the machine and set the program for fresh dough, number 13 on the Kenwood. NB: when using the bread machine the ingredients should be placed in the exact order as listed above, liquids first.
2. For best result, let the dough rest in the fridge overnight, well-floured and wrapped in a plastic bag, otherwise, it will crawl all over the fridge.

Make the pesto

For more information on how to make basil pesto you can read the recipe Genovese Pesto sauce

1. Add all the ingredients for the pesto in a blender. 
2. he pesto should be mixed gradually with pulsing movements. If mixed continuously the heat created by the blades will oxidize the basil turning the pesto into a dark colour.

Prepare the white pizza

1. Once the dough is ready, cut it into 4 equal sizes and lay them down on a well-floured baking sheet.
2. When the dough is rolled flat, it needs to rest for at least 10 minutes before it rises. In the meantime, put the pizza stone in the cold oven and set the oven at 430 F - 220 C.
3. Once the oven reaches the temperature of 430 F -220C, take the pizza stone out of the oven and lay the dough on top.
4. Top it with the stracchino cheese
5. Drizzle with the pesto
6. Cook it in the hot oven for 10 minutes 

Enjoy you white pizza with stracchino and pesto

Pizza recipes you might also like

For more pizza recipes, check out the category: Pizza

Also check the recipes below:

• Fried Pizza
• Artichoke Pizza with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Scamorza Cheese
• Pizza with Fresh Vegetables
• Pissaladiere Nicoise
• Focaccia Pizza
• Pizza with Nutella

If you are making this traditional Italian white pizza with pesto leave your comment below I would like to hear from you. You can find more delicious ideas if you FOLLOW ME on Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram or sign up to my newsletter.

📋Traditional Italian White Pizza With Pesto

5 from 6 votes

Laura Tobin

Verified Culinary Authority

Servings 3 people

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

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White pizza is a pizza without tomato sauce, my favourite originates just around the corner in the Italian Riviera: Pizza with Stracchino and Pesto #yourguardianchef #pizzarecipes #pizza #italianrecipes

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Equipment

• Bread machine
• Mini Measuring Set
• Measuring mugs
• Silicone Pastry Mat
• Rolling pin
• Pizza stone
• Pizza soap stone
• Braun blender

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

Pizza Dough

• ▢ 3 cup Caputo flour 00 if you can find Manitoba, Type 55, All purpose, Plain, Type 0
• ▢ 1 cup fresh water
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 package yeast 2 tsp
• ▢ 0.5 teaspoon caster sugar to activate the yeast

For the topping

• ▢ 1 cup stracchino

For the pesto

• ▢ 2 cup fresh basil leaves
• ▢ 3 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan
• ▢ 1 tablespoon pecorino cheese
• ▢ ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ ½ tablespoon pine nuts
• ▢ 1 pinch salt

Instructions

 

Make the pizza dough

• Pour the ingredients into the machine and set the program for fresh dough, number 13 on the Kenwood. NB: when using the bread machine the ingredients should be placed in the exact order as listed above, liquids first.
• For best result, let the dough rest in the fridge overnight, well floured and wrapped in a plastic bag, otherwise, it will crawl all over the fridge.

Make the pesto

• Add all the ingredients for the pesto in a blender. 
• The pesto should be mixed gradually with pulsing movements. If mixed continuously the heat created by the blades will oxidize the basil turning the pesto into a dark colour.

Prepare the pizza

• Once the dough is ready, cut it into 4 equal sizes and lay them down on a well-floured baking sheet.
• When the dough is rolled flat, it needs to rest for at least 10 minutes before it rises. In the meantime, put the pizza stone in the cold oven and set the oven at 430 F - 220 C.
• Once the oven reaches the temperature of 430 F -220C, take the pizza stone out of the oven and lay the dough on top.
• Top it with the stracchino cheese
• Drizzle with the pesto
• Cook it in the hot oven for 10 minutes 

Nutrition

Calories: 921kcalCarbohydrates: 100gProtein: 21gFat: 48gSaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 88mgSodium: 1139mgPotassium: 307mgFiber: 4gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 1900IUVitamin C: 2.9mgCalcium: 198mgIron: 6.8mg

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