Whole Wheat Pesto Pizza with Summer Vegetables and Goat Cheese

I know it's weird to post about pizza again, but I've got it on my mind! This one has completely different flavors from last week's pizza with seasonal vegetables like zucchini and summer squash, bell peppers, mushrooms and arugula. I used a store-bought reduced fat pesto for convenience but with a few extra steps you can make a nutrient-packed, fresh delicious Kale and Walnut Pesto from a previous post. I made the dough using whole wheat pastry flour based on a recipe below from the American Heart Association. Prebake the crust for about 6 minutes at 400 F. Sauté the mushrooms with garlic and shallots in some olive oil until softened. Spread pesto evenly onto the crust and then top with the cooked vegetables, thinly sliced yellow bell peppers and squashes, arugula, and goat cheese and bake for an additional 20 minutes. The arugula tasted great cooked down but I topped with more fresh leaves after the pizza was baked. 

Crust Recipe

4 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 envelope instant yeast

1 t sugar

1/2 t salt

1 1/4 cups tepid water

1 t olive oil

Directions

1. In large bowl, stir together flour, yeast, sugar and salt using a wooden spoon. Pour in the water. Blend the dough with your hands into a ball. If dough is sticky, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, working it in for 3-4 minutes or until dough is smooth and does not stick to the side of the bowl. Set dough aside and let rest for 15 minutes.
2. Place dough onto lightly floured surface. Push dough away from you with the heels of your hands. Fold dough back over onto itself. Continue to knead dough for about 8 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Work the dough into a ball.
3. Lightly coat a large bowl with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Place dough in bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel and set aside in a warm place (about 85 F) until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.
4. Use right away. Or if storing, wrap well in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 1 week, or freeze the dough and thaw in refrigerator overnight. 

YUM!!!!!