White Pizza with Parsley Pesto Drizzle

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1 cup fresh parsley leaves, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced or crushed
• 1 Tbsp grated Parmesan
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Freshly cracked pepper
• Pinch red pepper flakes, optional
• 1.5 Tbsp lemon juice
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 14-16" pizza dough
• 4 oz. fresh mozzarella
• 2 Roma tomatoes

Directions

1. Combine 1 Tbsp olive oil with the garlic powder in a very small bowl or dish. Set it aside so the garlic flavor can work into the oil while you get everything else ready.
2. For the parsley pesto, chop 1 packed cup of fresh parsley leaves very finely; once minced, you should have about 1/2 cup. Stir in the minced garlic, grated Parmesan, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Mix in the lemon juice and olive oil, beginning with 1 Tbsp lemon juice and 2 Tbsp olive oil, then add more as needed until the mixture is thin enough to drizzle. The total may be 1.5 Tbsp lemon juice and 3 Tbsp oil, depending on how much minced parsley you have. Put the pesto to the side.
3. Set an oven rack in the highest position and start heating the oven to 500ºF. Slice the tomatoes and fresh mozzarella thinly.
4. Roll or stretch the pizza dough into a 14-16" round. Transfer it to a pizza pan or baking sheet. Stir the garlic oil again, then brush a light coating across the dough, all the way to the edge of the crust.
5. Scatter the tomato slices evenly over the dough, then add the mozzarella in torn pieces over the top.
6. Bake the pizza in the fully heated 500ºF oven for 10 minutes, until the outer crust is golden and the cheese has melted without browning. Once it comes out of the oven, spoon the parsley pesto over the pizza, cut it into 8 pieces, and serve.