Individual-sized pizzas are one of my favorite things to make.  I always use Trader Joe’s fresh pizza dough as my base and then I have fun experimenting with different toppings.  You can take just about any ingredients that you’d put together on a sandwich or pasta dish and put them on a pizza for a delicious dinner.  I’m sure that I’ll end up writing about some of the interesting combinations but for today I’m going to describe how to make a pizza featuring the classic combo of tomato, basil, and mozzarella.

Pizza with Pesto, Fire-Roasted Tomatoes, and Mozzarella
(makes two generous individual-sized pizzas)

You will need…
1 package of Trader Joe’s fresh pizza dough (a bag with a ball of dough in it, not the pre-cooked stuff)
4 heaping tablespoons of pesto
2 teaspoons (approx.) Grated Parmesan/Romano Cheese
15 oz. can of Fire-Roasted Diced Tomatoes, drained (or normal tomatoes if you prefer)
12 Marinaded Mozzarella Balls (also from TJ’s; each ball is approx. 1″ in diameter)
Garlic Powder
Salt & Pepper to Taste

All ready to go into the oven

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 425°.  Allow the pizza dough to sit out at room temperature for at least 20 minutes.  After it has warmed up, remove the pizza dough from the bag and split it into two balls.  If you want, you can lightly dust your hands and/or work surface with flour when working with the dough if you want to but it’s not a necessity.  Flatten one of the dough balls between your palms and then start to slowly stretch the dough out by squeezing the outside edges evenly.  Wehn you get the dough stretched out the size and shape that you like, place it onto a cookie sheet.  My cookie sheet has a non-stick surface so I don’t grease it at all — you may need to lightly grease a pan that doesn’t have a non-stick surface.  Repeat the stretching procedure with the other dough ball.

Hurray!  The hard part is over and now you get the fun of putting toppings on your pizzas.  Scoop two heaping spoonfuls of pesto onto each pizza and spread the pesto out with the back of the spoon.  Next, sprinkle some Parmesan cheese (about 1 teaspoon per pizza, or more if you want!) over the pesto topping.  Spoon the drained tomatoes onto each pizza and spread them out.  Slice up the 12 mozzarella balls and divide evenly between the pizzas.  Lightly dust the top of the pizza with garlic powder and add salt and pepper to taste.

Cook the pizzas in an oven at 425° for 12-15 minutes.  The pizzas are ready when the cheese has melted and the crust is starting to brown.  Enjoy!