Bruschetta Pizza
Say hello to Little Italy, right in your own kitchen! This bruschetta pizza is loaded with ripe tomatoes and flavorful herbs on top of a homemade thin pizza crust. It's a restaurant-quality dish that is absolutely drool-worthy.
Bruschetta Pizza Recipe
Move over pepperoni pizza, bruschetta pizza has entered the room. Okay, I'm kidding... I love a good pepperoni pizza. But there is just something about this fancy pizza that is irresistible.
Tomato bruschetta is one of the best appetizers there is. The sweet and tangy balsamic glaze atop juicy ripe tomatoes and creamy mozzarella cheese, I could eat it all!
Italian food has a special place in my heart...and my stomach. The Italians truly just know how to capture the most perfect flavor combinations. I've had so much fun creating recipes for my favorite Italian recipes over the years.
This creamy chicken risotto is so good and probably right next to pizza and bruschetta, competing for my number one favorite Italian dish.
Bruschetta pizza is incredibly easy to make and will transport you to a little pizza shop in the middle of Italy. (But, I think a pizza is probably a little more affordable than a trip to Italy!)
Why You'll Love this Recipe
You'll love this recipe, for a few reasons:
- This recipe is much healthier than your typical pizza since there's not an overwhelming amount of cheese and fatty meats.
- Making your own pizza can help you ensure you're using only the most high quality ingredients. Great if you've got dietary restrictions or want to avoid processed junk.
- Bruschetta pizza is fancy enough to serve even when you're hosting guests!
What is Bruschetta Pizza?
Bruschetta is a popular appetizer and finger food. It is most commonly made with toasted crusty bread called crostini and marinated tomatoes.
Classic bruschetta's topping is tomato, basil and balsamic vinegar, but you can use tons of different things. Goat cheese and pesto are two popular bruschetta toppings.
Bruschetta pizza is just thin crust or flatbread pizza with a classic tomato bruschetta topping. It's basically a yummy combo of the traditional Italian appetizer and pizza!
Ingredients
These simple ingredients are all you need to make an incredible high-quality homemade pizza:
- pizza dough
- diced cherry tomatoes
- diced roma tomatoes
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt
- pepper
- fresh mozzarella cheese
- fresh basil leaves
- balsamic glaze
This pizza doesn't use pizza sauce; it uses olive oil as a base for the toppings to make it more like bruschetta. However, you could use it if you wanted to! You could also use basil pesto for more herbal flavor.
Substitutions and Variations
Fresh mozzarella cheese tastes amazing on this pizza recipe, but you can also use different options like feta cheese!
Add extra flavor to this bruschetta pizza recipe with diced red onion, minced garlic or whole garlic cloves. Fresh herbs like parsley, oregano, rosemary and cilantro can be added with fresh basil!
This pizza does not have any meat, but feel free to add some! Pork sausage, grilled chicken and bacon would both go very well as a topping.
Use leftover roasted tomatoes, veggies or any other pizza toppings you love.
How To Make Bruschetta Pizza
First, heat up your oven or grill, depending on how you are going to cook this pizza. Either one should be 400°F (20°C).
Hot Tip: If you're using a pizza stone or pizza pan, allow it to preheat while the oven is preheating! This helps produce a perfectly crispy crust on the bottom.
Before beginning this recipe, ensure you've got your pizza crust stretched or rolled out with a rolling pin and ready to go. If your pizza crust is ready, then let's get started!
Try my favorite thin pizza crust recipe!
In a small bowl, mix together one teaspoon of olive oil, pieces of fresh mozzarella cheese, basil leaves, salt and black pepper until thoroughly combined. Then set it aside for later.
Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the fresh pizza dough and spread it out into an even layer with a basting brush.
Place the pizza crust onto a pizza pan or pizza stone. Alternatively, you can place the crust directly onto the oven rack or grill rack when you place it on parchment paper.
Bake the pizza base for 10 minutes and remove it from the oven or grill.
Spoon the bruschetta mixture over the pizza crust and then place it back into the oven.
Bake the pizza topped with the bruschetta mixture for another 5 minutes until cheese is melted and gooey. You'll want to crust to be golden brown around the edges too.
Then remove the pizza from the oven and allow it to cool slightly. Drizzle balsamic glaze over the finished pizza.
Finally, slice the pizza, serve and enjoy!
What to Serve with Bruschetta Pizza
Make a yummy lemon orzo pasta to pair with your classic Italian pizza.
My recipe for cheesy garlic bread would be great to eat with this pizza too! A simple Italian pasta salad would be tasty.
If you're firing up the grill for this pizza, then you can make some grilled zucchini or grilled squash as a side! A bright and crunchy spinach salad would also make a delicious side dish.
How to Store Leftover Bruschetta Pizza
Place leftover slices of pizza into an airtight container or zip top plastic bag. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
I do not recommend freezing this pizza as it won't reheat super well. The tomatoes will likely produce excess liquid and will make the pizza soggy.
Tips for Success
Here are some tips and tricks for making this recipe:
- Add a little corn meal to the bottom of the pizza crust to keep it from sticking. You can also bake this pizza on parchment paper or a lightly greased surface.
- Use fresh pizza dough when you can! Fresh thin crust dough takes this pizza to the next level.
- Get your fresh tomatoes and herbs from the farmers market if possible. The more fresh the produce, the more flavor this pizza will have!
FAQ
Typically, bruschetta mixture is cold and served on warm bread. However, when you use it as a topping in a recipe like pizza it is perfect warmed and baked into the fresh dough!
If you are having issues with the crust baking thoroughly and evenly, then there are a few things you can try. Make sure that you are preheating the pizza stone, pizza pan, or even baking sheet that you are using. This will ensure that the pizza immediately hits a hot surface!
You'll also want to ensure that you don't overload the pizza crust with too many toppings. Spread the toppings out evenly and then bake the pizza quickly after adding the bruschetta.
More Italian Recipes
- Italina Wedding Soup
- Italian Marinade for Pork Chops
- Homemade Italian Bread Crumbs
- Baked Chicken Meatballs
- Arugula Prosciutto Pizza with Ricotta
Did you make this recipe?
If you make and love this recipe, please leave a ★★★★★ review below! It means so much to me when you try my recipes, and I'd love to know how it goes. Please leave a comment below if you have any questions.
Bruschetta Pizza
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 thin-crust pizza dough prepared and rolled thin
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes diced
- ½ cup roma tomatoes diced
- 3 teaspoons olive oil divided
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ cup fresh mozzarella cheese diced
- ¼ cup basil cut into ribbons
- 2 tablespoons balsamic glaze for garnish/drizzle on top
Instructions
- Preheat oven or grill to 400ºF.
- Mix tomatoes, 1 teaspoon olive oil, mozzarella cheese and salt and pepper together in a bowl. Set aside.
- Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the pizza crust, spreading evenly with a basting brush.
- Bake pizza crust on a pizza pan or on parchment paper directly on the oven rack or grill for 10 minutes.
- Spoon the tomato mixture over the hot pizza crust.
- Continue baking for 5 minutes until the cheese is melted.
- Let cool slightly before slicing. Serve warm.
Tried a new twist on pizza night and it was a hit! The fresh tomato and basil topping was a delightful change from the usual. The drizzle of balsamic glaze brought everything together beautifully. It was so fresh, vibrant, and very satisfying!
This pizza is delicious and feels a lot less heavy than traditional pizza. It was a great way to use up our bounty of cherry tomatoes this summer.
Oh, this Bruschetta Pizza is a true winner! Italian recipes are some of my absolute favorites, and this pizza is now officially in the books! I'll be sharing this recipe with my sister, too!
Loaded with ripe tomatoes and herbs on a thin, homemade crust, it's a restaurant-quality dish that's absolutely amazing! Transformed my kitchen into Little Italy, the smell was amazing 🙂
This bruschetta pizza is an absolute delight! The combination of juicy tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, and flavorful herbs is simply irresistible. I love that it's a healthier alternative to traditional pizza, and I appreciate the fact that I can control the quality of ingredients by making it myself. It's definitely a recipe I'll be returning to again and again.