potato crust pizza with zucchini, pesto and pine nuts

pizza di patate

4 servings

• 4 ounces peeled Idaho or russet potato (about ⅓ of a medium potato), cut into small chunks
• 1⅓ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• Salt
• 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
• ½ cup warm water
• 1½ cups tightly packed basil leaves
• ½ cup pine nuts
• ⅓ cup, plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small yellow or white onion, julienned
• 1 large green or yellow zucchini (about ½ pound), julienned

Boil potato until tender; drain and transfer to a large bowl. While potato is still warm, use a fork to mash it together with flour and 1 teaspoon salt. Dissolve yeast in water; stir together with potato mixture to combine.

Turn out dough onto a work surface and knead for 20 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, cover with greased plastic wrap, and let rest in a warm place for 1 hour. 

Meanwhile, make a quick pesto: in a blender or food processor, puree basil, ⅓ cup pine nuts, ⅓ cup oil and 1 teaspoon salt until smooth.

Position a rack in center of oven and heat oven to 450°. Season onion with salt. Toss zucchini with remaining teaspoon oil.

Grease a baking sheet and spread dough into a 16- by 10-inch rectangle. Spread onion over dough and drizzle with half of the pesto; bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, top with zucchini and remaining pesto. Bake until golden, 5 to 7 minutes more, sprinkling with remaining pine nuts during the last 2 minutes of baking.