Mushroom Pizza with Homemade Pesto
This mushroom pizza with pesto is a quick vegan pizza built on a base of fresh homemade basil pesto, two kinds of sautéed mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, and olives. It comes together in about half an hour and hits that comforting, savory note you want from a pizza night without any cheese or animal products. If you like healthy pizza recipes and mushrooms as much as I do, this one is going to become a regular in your kitchen.
If you were to try and find something in common between you and someone who lives on the other side of the world, one of the things you probably share is that you both had pizza at some point in your life, maybe even recently. The dish has its humble beginnings in Naples, Italy, where the simple Pizza Margherita became a staple that put the city on the map. Neapolitan pizza is traditionally made from locally sourced ingredients and is recognized by UNESCO on their Traditional Specialty Guaranteed list.
Why I keep coming back to this pizza
I’m not going to talk about every kind of pizza out there, because that would take us forever. I, myself, am a big fan of pizza recipes that don’t use more than three or four star ingredients, so here I put two of my favorite things together: pesto and mushrooms. If you’ve been following my recipes, you might have noticed that I am an avid fan of mushroom recipes, and my mouth is watering already just writing this. I love making this mushroom pizza with pesto, and I advise you to try it out for yourself, then change it around according to taste.
The ingredients that make it work
This recipe has two parts: a fresh pesto and the topped pizza. Here is what each ingredient brings to the plate.
- Two kinds of mushrooms:button mushrooms give you that familiar meaty bite, while white Shimeji mushrooms add a delicate, slightly nutty flavor and a nice textural contrast. Slice the button mushrooms so they cook evenly.
- Fresh basil pesto:made from scratch with basil leaves, soaked almonds or walnuts, garlic, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and a touch of lemon juice. No cheese needed, which keeps the whole pizza vegan.
- Sun-dried tomatoes and stuffed olives:these two do the heavy lifting on flavor. They are salty, concentrated, and a little tangy, so a small amount goes a long way.
- Red onion and garlic:the onion adds a sharp, sweet edge, and the garlic clove perfumes the mushrooms as they sauté.
- White wine:deglazes the skillet and gives the mushrooms depth. The alcohol cooks off and leaves behind a savory backbone.
- Fresh chives and dried herbs:oregano and dried basil season the pizza before baking, and fresh chives finish it with a bright, oniony lift.
- The crust:use any large pizza crust you like, or a gluten-free one if you need it.
Why soaking the nuts matters for the pesto
Soaking the almonds or walnuts overnight before blending is the small step that makes a big difference. Soaked nuts are softer, so they break down into a smoother, creamier pesto instead of a gritty one, and they blend more easily without needing extra oil. Draining and rinsing them first removes some of the bitterness raw nuts can carry. If you forget to soak them ahead of time, a quick soak in hot water for 20 to 30 minutes will help, though overnight is best.
Tips to get it right
- Don’t crowd the skillet. Mushrooms release a lot of water. If you pile too many in at once they steam instead of browning, so give them room to catch some color.
- Let the wine cook down. After adding the white wine, let it sauté a few more minutes so the liquid reduces and the mushrooms don’t leave your crust soggy.
- Go easy on wet toppings. Sun-dried tomatoes and olives are already packed with moisture and salt. A generous but not overloaded layer keeps the crust crisp underneath.
- Watch the edges, not the clock. Ovens vary, so pull the pizza when the crust edges turn golden rather than waiting out an exact time.
- Add the chives at the end. Fresh chives are best scattered on after baking so they stay bright and don’t scorch.
Make it your own
I am sure there is room for trial and error in every recipe, and the most important thing is to have fun and to treat everybody’s taste as a chance to learn. Here are a few easy ways to adapt this one.
- Swap the mushrooms. No Shimeji on hand? Cremini, oyster, or portobello all work beautifully. Use whatever looks freshest.
- Change the nuts. Walnuts give a richer, earthier pesto, while almonds keep it milder. Pine nuts work too if you have them.
- Make it gluten-free. Use a gluten-free crust and the recipe stays fully gluten-free and vegan.
- Add more green. A handful of arugula or fresh basil leaves scattered on after baking adds freshness and color.
What to serve it with
This pizza is a full meal on its own, but if you want to build out a cozy mushroom-forward spread, pair it with a bowl of cream of mushroom soup with thyme to start. If you are feeding a crowd or want more variety on the table, another crowd-pleaser is my veggie pita pizza, which uses a quick flatbread base. And when you want to lean fully into mushroom season, the stuffed portobello mushrooms make a great side.
Storing and making it ahead
The pesto is the most make-ahead-friendly part: blend it up to three days in advance and keep it in an airtight jar in the fridge with a thin layer of olive oil on top to keep it green. You can also sauté the mushrooms a day ahead and store them covered, so all that’s left at dinnertime is assembling and baking. Leftover baked pizza keeps in the fridge for two to three days; reheat slices in a hot oven or a skillet rather than the microwave so the crust crisps back up instead of going soft. If mushroom recipes are your thing, you might also love my vegan lasagna with mushrooms for another comforting, make-ahead dinner.
If you make this mushroom pizza with pesto, I can’t wait to hear how it went. Please rate the recipe and drop a comment below telling me which mushrooms you used and whether you tweaked the pesto. You’ll love it to the moon and back on the first try, and even more once you make it your own.
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Mushroom Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 pizza crust large, use gluten-free if needed
- 1 cup button mushrooms sliced
- 1 cup white shimeji mushrooms
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp white wine
- 1 red onion finely sliced
- ½ cup stuffed olives sliced
- ¾ cup sun-dried tomatoes sliced
- 1 handful chives fresh
- 1 tsp oregano dried
- 1 tsp basil dried
For the pesto sauce:
- 2 cups basil leaves fresh
- ½ cup almonds or walnuts, raw, soaked overnight, drained and rinsed
- ⅓ cup parsley fresh
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Make the pesto: add all the pesto ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth. Set aside.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat.
- Add the olive oil, the whole garlic clove and all the mushrooms.
- Sauté for about 2 minutes, then pour in the white wine and sauté for 3 minutes more. Discard the garlic clove and set the mushrooms aside.
- Lay the pizza crust on the prepared baking tray.
- Brush it with olive oil and cover it with a generous layer of pesto.
- Scatter over the red onion, olives, sun-dried tomatoes and sautéed mushrooms, then sprinkle with the dried oregano and basil.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the edges are golden and crisp.
- Top with the fresh chives, slice and serve. Bon appétit!
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. The pesto is made from basil, soaked almonds or walnuts, garlic, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and lemon juice with no cheese, and every topping is plant-based. Just use a vegan (and gluten-free, if needed) pizza crust and the whole pizza stays fully vegan.
The recipe uses sliced button mushrooms and white Shimeji mushrooms for a mix of meaty bite and delicate, nutty flavor. If you can’t find Shimeji, cremini, oyster, or portobello mushrooms all make good substitutes. Use whatever looks freshest at your market.
Soaking the almonds or walnuts overnight softens them so they blend into a smoother, creamier pesto instead of a gritty one, and it removes some of the bitterness raw nuts can carry. If you’re short on time, a 20 to 30 minute soak in hot water helps, though overnight gives the best texture.
Yes. The pesto can be blended up to three days ahead and stored in an airtight jar with a thin layer of olive oil on top to keep it green. You can also sauté the mushrooms a day in advance and refrigerate them covered, leaving only the assembly and baking for dinnertime.
Let the mushrooms and their liquid cook down fully before topping the pizza, and don’t overload it with wet ingredients like sun-dried tomatoes and olives. A generous but not excessive layer of toppings keeps the crust crisp underneath as it bakes.
Store leftover baked pizza in the fridge for two to three days. Reheat slices in a hot oven or in a dry skillet rather than the microwave so the crust crisps back up instead of turning soft.
One word: delicious! 🙂 Thanks for the yummy recipe!
You’re welcome! So happy you liked the recipe!