Mortadella, Stracciatella & Pistachio Pesto Pizza
A leftover-inspired masterpiece in a party dress.
This pizza was born the morning after my husband’s birthday party, when our fridge held a few treasures: stracciatella, mortadella, and a bowl of finely ground pistachios. The night before, we’d laid everything out with focaccia and let guests build their own dreamy sandwiches. But the pizza version we made the next day? Even better.
Something magical happens when stracciatella hits warm dough—just enough melt to mingle with the nutty pesto and rich mortadella. It was a crowd favorite, and now a new classic in our house. The pistachio pesto recipe makes more than you’ll need for the pizza, but you’ll be glad—try it stirred into pasta with Italian sausage or spread on a sandwich with cheddar, beefsteak tomatoes, and a runny egg. Heaven.
Serves 2 as a main, 4 as an appetizer.
Pizza Ingredients
1 lb pizza dough
⅓ cup pistachio pesto (recipe below)
4–6 oz stracciatella
6–8 thin slices mortadella
2 tbsp finely ground pistachios
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
Pistachio Pesto
1 cup toasted pistachios
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 cups basil leaves
Juice of 1 lemon
½ cup olive oil
1 garlic clove
1 tsp salt
Black pepper, to taste
To make the pesto:
Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth-ish (you want some texture). Scrape down the sides as needed. Yields about 1½ cups. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
To Make the Pizza:
Take the pizza dough out of the fridge 1–2 hours before baking and let it rise in a warm spot until soft and pliable.
Preheat the oven to 500°F with a large cast iron skillet or baking sheet inside—this helps the crust crisp up beautifully.
On a lightly floured surface, stretch the dough into a 12-inch round. Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven, drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil, and lay the dough on top. Drizzle with a bit more oil, sprinkle with salt, and return to the oven.
Bake for 6–8 minutes, until the crust is golden, puffed, and blistered in all the right places.
Remove the pizza from the oven and transfer to a large board or baking sheet. Spread the pesto over the warm crust, add generous dollops of stracciatella, and drape the mortadella on top like silky ribbons. Finish with a scatter of ground pistachios, a final drizzle of olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste.
Slice and serve immediately, ideally with something bubbly and good company.
xx, Lisa