Summer Squash Sunflower Seed Pesto Pizza, a perfect end-of-summer harvest pizza with yellow squash, sunflower seed pesto, and a sprinkle of pan fried corn and fresh basil. Packed with flavor!
👩🍳 Why I Love This Recipe
Friday night is pizza night in our home and each week we dream up a different flavor combination and this is the perfect end-of-summer harvest pizza.
It marries all of the season’s best: pesto made from fresh basil and sunflower seeds, thinly sliced yellow summer squash, and a sprinkling of pan fried summer corn. It’s a burst of summer flavor you’re going to love!
🌿 Ingredients
- Pizza dough: use a store bought or make your own; I like Trader Joe’s pizza dough, it’s a good store bought option
- Sunflower seed pesto: you’ll need basil, sunflower seeds, garlic, olive oil, nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper (see the recipe card or check out my full tutorial here)
- Summer squash: thinly sliced summer squash, or you can also use zucchini
- Vegan cheese: plant-based mozzarella cheese is what I’m using, but you can also use vegan parmesan
- Corn: either fresh or frozen corn is used to make the pan fried corn topping
- Basil: fresh basil for both the basil and for topping the pizza after it’s baked
- Seasoning: a sprinkle of sea salt and red pepper flakes, if you like it spicy
- Recommended tools: food processor, baking sheet
🥣 How to make (step-by-step photos)
1️⃣ Step One: Preheat your oven + prep your pizza dough
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (about 220 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet with olive oil, then add the pizza dough and use your fingers to spread out the dough until it is even in your desired pizza shape (round, oval, square, etc.).
👉 Where to buy good pizza dough: Most grocery stores sell a premade dough, I like Trader Joe’s dough and it was what I started with before I started making my own at home.
2️⃣ Step Two: Make sunflower seed pesto
Make the sunflower seed pesto by combining the basil, sunflower seeds, garlic clove, olive oil, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper in a food processor and pulsing until combined. Set aside.
👉 Want step-by-step photos of how to make it? See my full recipe for Sunflower Seed Pesto for photos and a longer description of how to make it.
3️⃣ Step Three: Pan fry corn
Heat a small pan over medium heat and melt vegan butter (or use oil). Add the corn to the pan and cook 5-7 minutes, or until the corn is browned. Stir often to brown the corn on all sides. Remove from heat and set aside.
4️⃣ Step Four: Build pizza
Top the pizza dough with pesto sauce, using a spoon to spread it out evenly over the dough. Place sliced summer squash on the pizza in a single layer. Then add a sprinkle of the vegan mozzarella cheese and pan fried corn. Finish off with a sprinkle of salt.
5️⃣ Step Five: Bake pizza, garnish, and serve
Add the baking sheet with the uncooked pizza into the oven on the middle baking rack and bake until the pizza dough is cooked and the toppings begin to brown, about 12-15 minutes. Check on the pizza at about the 10 minute mark and keep an eye on it so it doesn’t overcook.
When pizza is done, remove it from the oven and let it rest a few minutes before transferring it to a cutting board. Add fresh basil leaves and any desired garnishes, like red pepper flakes or nutritional yeast. Then slice into triangles or squares and enjoy!
🧊 How to store and reheat
- Refrigerator storage: Store leftover pizza in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.
- Freezer storage: Freeze in a freezer-friendly bag or container for up to 1 month. To thaw, remove from the freezer into the refrigerator for 24 hours.
- Reheat instructions: To reheat, cook for 10 in the oven at 375 degrees F.
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Summer Squash Sunflower Seed Pesto Pizza
Ingredients
For Pizza
- 8 ounces pizza dough, homemade or store bought
- ½ cup sunflower seed pesto, see below for ingredients
- 1 medium summer squash, sliced into very thin slices
- ⅓ cup vegan mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup corn, fresh or frozen
- 1 teaspoon vegan butter, or olive oil
- 1 pinch sea salt
- ⅓ cup fresh basil, whole leaves or sliced thin
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes, optional
For Sunflower Seed Pesto (makes about 1/2 cup, as written)
- 1 cup basil
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
- 1 clove garlic
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch fresh cracked pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven and prep dough: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (about 220 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet with olive oil, then add the pizza dough and use your fingers to spread out the dough until it is even in your desired pizza shape (round, oval, square, etc.).8 ounces pizza dough
- Make sunflower seed pesto: Make the sunflower seed pesto by combining the basil, sunflower seeds, garlic clove, olive oil, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper in a food processor and pulsing until combined. Set aside.1 cup basil, ¼ cup sunflower seeds, 1 clove garlic, ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast, 1 pinch salt, 1 pinch fresh cracked pepper
- Pan fry corn: Heat a small pan over medium heat and melt vegan butter (or use oil). Add the corn to the pan and cook 5-7 minutes, or until the corn is browned. Stir often to brown the corn on all sides. Remove from heat and set aside.½ cup corn, 1 teaspoon vegan butter
- Build pizza: Top the pizza dough with pesto sauce, using a spoon to spread it out evenly over the dough. Place sliced summer squash on the pizza in a single layer. Then add a sprinkle of the vegan mozzarella cheese and pan fried corn. Finish off with a sprinkle of salt.1 medium summer squash, ⅓ cup vegan mozzarella cheese, 1 pinch sea salt
- Bake pizza: Add the baking sheet with the uncooked pizza into the oven on the middle baking rack and bake until the pizza dough is cooked and the toppings begin to brown, about 12-15 minutes. Check on the pizza at about the 10 minute mark and keep an eye on it so it doesn’t overcook.
- Garnish and serve: When pizza is done, remove it from the oven and let it rest a few minutes before transferring it to a cutting board. Add fresh basil leaves and any desired garnishes, like red pepper flakes or nutritional yeast. Then slice into triangles or squares and enjoy!⅓ cup fresh basil, 1 pinch red pepper flakes
Equipment
- 1 food processor
- 1 baking sheet
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