Ground Beef Pizza With Almond Pesto - cooking recipe

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 1/2 tsp instant yeast
3/4 cup olive oil + 1 tbsp
2/3 lb ground beef
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 bunches basil, leaves removed and finely chopped + 2 sprigs for garnish
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
3/4 cup tomato puree
2 tsp mixed Italian herbs
10 1/2 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 lb mini mozzarella balls

Preparation

For the pizza dough, mix the flour and yeast in a bowl with 2 teaspoons of salt. Pour in 1 cup of lukewarm water and 1/2 cup of olive oil and mix until a smooth dough is formed (you can use your hands or the dough hook attachment on a mixer for this). Knead the dough into a ball, then cover and leave to proof in a warm place for about 30 mins.
Meanwhile, make the pizza toppings. To cook the beef, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a non-stick frying pan and cook the ground beef with 1 tbsp of the tomato paste. Season. To make the pesto, put the basil, almonds, garlic and parmesan into a food processor with 1/4 cup of olive oil and blitz until it is a puree. Season to taste. To make the tomato sauce, mix the tomato puree with the remaining tomato paste and the Italian herbs.
Preheat the oven to 425\u00b0F. Divide the dough into 2 pieces, then roll each 1/2 out on a floured work surface to create 2 pizza bases, each about 11 inches in diameter. Place each pizza base onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, then spread the tomato sauce over the top, leaving a 2 inch border around the edge of each one. Spread the meat mixture over the top, then the cherry tomatoes and finally the mozzarella balls. Bake for 5 mins, then lower the heat to 400\u00b0F and bake for an additional 20 mins. Remove from the oven and dot the pesto over the top of the pizza. Garnish with basil leaves and serve.