Cast Iron Shrimp Pizza with Pecan Basil Pesto
Yes, sir! Let’s get out the trusty old Lodge pan and have some pizza fun. Let’s make a crazy delicious cast iron shrimp pizza with a pecan basil pesto.
Servings: 2
Calories: 1337kcal
Ingredients
Pizza Dough
- 1-¼ cups warm water
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3-½ cups all purpose flour
- 1-¼ teaspoons salt
Pesto
- 2 cups basil leaves
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup pecan nuts (about 8 whole nuts)
- ¼ cup (2 ounces) Parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon kosher sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
- ½ tablespoon semolina (optional)
Toppings
- ½ pound large shrimp (about 8)
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ cup (2 ounces) mozzarella
- ¼ teaspoon kosher sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
Pizza Dough
- **These dough instructions are for using a stand mixer, but mixing by hand works just as well, it just takes a little longer.
- In a stand mixer bowl, using a spoon, stir together warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let sit for five minutes or until it becomes frothy. Then, add olive oil and stir again.
- In a separate bowl, mix flour and salt.
- Using the dough hook attachment, turn your stand mixer on to a low-medium speed (about 3 or 4). Slowly add the flour mixture while the dough hook is turning. Mix until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about two minutes.
- Form dough into a ball.
- Grease a large bowl with olive oil, place the dough ball in the bowl, and turn it over and over so that all sides of the dough are oiled. Cover with a towel and place in a warm spot for about one hour, until the dough has doubled in size.
Pesto
- If you have time, mix all ingredients in a mortar and pestle until the desired consistency is reached. If not, put all ingredients in a food processor and do the same, just faster.
Prepare the shrimp
- Depending on what kind of shrimp you use, defrost, peel, devein, and pat them dry.
- Butterfly the shrimp by using a knife and making a cut along the back, about halfway through the shrimp. Place the shrimp on the chopping board and press down lightly with your hand. Or don’t butterfly them. It’s a personal thing. Say what?
- Place the shrimp in a bowl, add lemon juice, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper, and mix.
Putting it all together
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- On the stovetop, over medium heat, heat butter in the cast iron Lodge pan until it bubbles.
- Add shrimp mixture and stir for about three minutes. The shrimp will turn and pink and curl up.
- Remove the cooked shrimp and wipe the pan clean with a paper towel.
- Place the empty pan in the hot oven for about 5 minutes.
- While the pan is heating up, roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface, to a size that’s just slightly larger than the pan.
- Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven and place the dough directly into it. Cut off any dough that’s overhanging the edges. You can add some semolina into the pan first if it’s not super non-stick, to prevent your dough from sticking.
- Pour pesto on top and spread evenly.
- Add shredded or sliced mozzarella and finish by adding the cooked shrimp on top.
- Place the pan back in the oven (middle rack) and bake for about 10 minutes. Use your eyes and nose to decide when it’s done.
- Carefully remove the hot pan and slide the pizza onto a cutting board. Serve hot.
Notes
Nutrition
Calories: 1337kcal | Carbohydrates: 87g | Protein: 51g | Fat: 89g | Sodium: 1698mg | Potassium: 726mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1653IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 454mg