Keto Pizza with Shrimp and Basil Pesto

For this Pizza Wednesday, I have a yummy seafood pizza recipe for you. Prepared with Shrimp and Basil Pesto this pizza is one of my favorites. The flavor combination is absolutely wonderful and if you have never had Pesto before, let me tell you it’s very different than marinara sauce. If you feel fresh Shrimp will be too expensive you can always use a frozen bag. Just make sure to count the number of pieces you will be using for the recipe and place the bag inside the freezer again (we don’t want the entire bag to thaw). 

Now if you are not on Keto diet, you can still use the toppings to create this delicious pizza whenever you want. You can make your own pizza base (follow my directions in the article: Homemade Pizza with Paneer, Tomato and Basil) or you can buy a readymade one. 

Once your pizza base is ready, generously spread the Basil Pesto on it, followed by the Shrimp, vegetables, cheese and seasoning. The pizza will be ready as soon as the cheese melts. 


Bon Appetit!

Ingredients for the Pizza base:

• Mozzarella Cheese - 1 ½ cups, shredded
• Cream Cheese - 1 ounce, cut into cubes
• Eggs – 2, large, beaten
• Coconut Flour – 1/3 cup 
• Red Pepper Flakes – ¼ teaspoon

Toppings:

• Basil Pesto Sauce (low carb) – ¼ cup (or as you like)
• Shrimp – 6-8 pieces, peeled and deveined
• Mozzarella Cheese – 1 cup, shredded
• Salt and Ground Black Pepper – to season (about ¼ teaspoon each)
• Butter – 1-2 tablespoons
• Onion – ¼ of a small onion, cut into small thick slices
• Mushrooms – 2, sliced
• Tomato – ¼, sliced

Others:

• Red Pepper Flakes
• Parchment Paper
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Non stick pan

Directions to bake the Pizza base:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. 
• Line a baking sheet or pizza pan with parchment paper.
• Combine the Mozzarella Cheese and Cream Cheese in a microwave safe large bowl. 
• Microwave for 45 seconds, stir with a spatula. Then put it back and microwave for another 45 seconds. Stir again until everything is well combined. 
• Stir in the beaten Eggs, Red Pepper Flakes and Coconut Flour. The mixture will be hot so be very careful while kneading with your hands. You can use a rubber spatula (but I have found that the kneading is way easier if I am using my hands). 
• Knead until a dough forms. 

Tip: If the dough becomes hard before fully mixed, you can microwave for 10-15 seconds to soften it.

• Transfer the dough onto the lined baking pan and cover it with another piece of parchment (this will make the rolling much easier, otherwise it will stick on the rolling pin and your hands).
• Roll the dough using your hands or a rolling pin. Make sure to keep the center thin and the sides a little bit thick. Roll it into an 8-inch pizza base.

Tip: Make ahead – you can roll the dough and keep it covered in a cool dry place till you are ready to bake. 

• Use a fork to poke lots of holes throughout the crust to prevent bubbling.
• Bake for 6 minutes. Poke more holes in any places where you see bubbles forming. Bake for 3-7 more minutes, until golden brown (keep a watch on the pizza base while baking the second time, we don’t want it to get brown).
• Once the base is ready, let’s assemble our Pizza.

Directions to prepare the Toppings:

• While we are baking the pizza base, let’s prepare the toppings. Start by heating a nonstick pan over medium heat.
• Melt the Butter on it.
• Add the Shrimp with the Onion, Mushroom and Tomato slices, season with Salt and Black Pepper and sauté for 2-4 minutes until the Shrimps look pinkish in color.
• Switch off the heat and transfer the toppings to a bowl.

To assemble the Pizza:

• Spread the Basil Pesto Sauce generously on the pizza base. 
• Arrange the toppings (Shrimp, Onion, Mushroom and Tomato slices) in a single layer over it.
• Sprinkle the Mozzarella cheese (1 cup) over it. Sprinkle some more seasoning (if required).
• Return the pizza back to the oven for 5-7 more minutes or until the cheese is melted.
• Drizzle some Extra Virgin Olive Oil on the pizza and sprinkle some Red Pepper Flakes. Enjoy.

Tip: Seafood overcooks very fast, so it is important to keep an eye on the pizza. When the cheese has melted, switch off the oven and remove the pizza promptly.

Recommended Reading:

• Homemade Pizza with Paneer, Tomato and Basil
• Avocado Smoothie
• Avocado Strawberry Smoothie
• Keto Pizza with grilled Chicken and Shrimp
• Egg Drop Soup
• Tomato Basil Soup
• Keto Pizza with Pepperoni, Parmesan and Basil
• Cream of Asparagus Soup
• Buying and Preparing Shrimp
• Quick Weeknight Dinner - Shrimp Stir Fry
• Chingri Malai Curry (Shrimp Curry with Coconut Milk)
• Jalapeno Shrimp
• Spicy Shrimp and Zucchini Curry

Homemade Pizza with Paneer, Tomato and Basil

Photo courtesy: Dr. Debarshi Chatterji

What do you do when you have a bunch of ingredients left from your party? You bake a Pizza! This delicious quick homemade pizza is indeed a great way to use up all those leftover herbs and vegetables. Now I decided to use Indian spices and Paneer in it but you can improvise the toppings in anyway you like. I got the Pizza crust recipe from the Food Network site so be assured it is tried and tested. Paneer is fresh cheese so it can be consumed just like any other cheese (without cooking) but if you are adding sausages or any meat in this, you may want to pan fry them first because the baking time may not be enough to cook them thoroughly.

The original recipe asked for a dusting of cornmeal for a crispy Pizza base which I didn’t have so I used semolina which brought that same result. Also, Debarshi is not too fond of Parmesan cheese so I just used mozzarella both for the base and top. The best part is the ingredients, you don’t need anything special for this recipe just a few things from your pantry and fridge and the result – piping hot pizza from your oven. Baked from scratch so you can show this off to your friends. Now I used my stand mixer to knead the dough but you can easily knead it by hand also. Your friends or kids can choose their favorite toppings and create their own pizzas.

To warm up the leftover cold pizza, simply slide it in the oven for 5-10 minutes at 400 degrees F or microwave it! Believe me unlike the store bought pizzas this doesn’t get soggy. 

Ready for the recipe? let’s go:

Ingredients for the Pizza Dough:

• Warm water – ½ cup
• Active Dry Yeast - 2 teaspoons 
• All-Purpose Flour - 2 cups 
• Salt - 1 teaspoon 
• Olive Oil - 3 tablespoons 

Ingredients for the Pizza:

• Semolina - 1 tablespoon 
• Extra-Virgin Olive Oil - 6 teaspoons 
• Mozzarella - 1 1/3 cups, grated (double the quantity if not using Parmesan)
• Tomatoes - 2 Roma, cut crosswise into ¼ inch-thick slices (or any other tomatoes you may have, I used Grape Tomatoes)
• Paneer - about 2 cups 
• Basil leaves – 6-10 fresh, plus extra for garnish (optional)
• Salt – about ¼ teaspoon 
• Parmesan – ½ cup, grated
• Garlic – about ¼ teaspoon, grated or powder (optional) 
• Red pepper flakes – ½ teaspoon
• Tandoori masala – 2 teaspoons
• Garam masala – a pinch

Others: 

• Whisk
• Baking sheet
• Aluminum Foil
• Plastic wrap

Directions to make the Pizza Dough:

Before doing anything else, knead the Pizza dough. Believe me this will help you save a lot of time later when you are hungry and craving for a hot pizza. 

• Start by mixing the warm water and Yeast in a small bowl.  Blend using a whisk, cover with a kitchen towel and let it stand until the yeast dissolves, about 5 minutes. 

Tip: The water should not be too hot or cold, it should feel lukewarm on the inner side of your wrist.

• Mix the All-Purpose Flour and Salt in a food processor/ stand mixer to blend or just use your fingers to mix it evenly.
• Blend in the Olive Oil. 
• With the machine running, add the Yeast mixture and blend just until the dough forms. If it is not coming together add half a teaspoon of warm water in it (at a time) and continue to knead. Be very careful while adding water or it will turn sticky and unmanageable.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface (use the kitchen counter for this step) and knead until smooth, about 1 minute. 
• Transfer the dough to a large oiled bowl and turn the dough to coat with the oil. 
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm draft-free area until the dough doubles in volume, about 1 hour. 
• Punch down the dough and divide into 2 equal balls.

Tip: You can use the dough immediately. If, however, you are planning to bake after some time then transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate. It will be good for a day.

Directions to bake the Pizza:

• Position the oven rack on the bottom of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F. 
• Roll out each piece of Pizza Dough into a 10 to 11-inch-diameter round. You may choose to keep the sides thin or thick as per your crust preferences.

Tips: 

• Use a wide clean space for this step, we used the kitchen counter. 
• Use a rolling pin or your fingers to press down/ roll the dough.

• Sprinkle the Semolina over 2 pieces of aluminum foil sheets. The sheets should be bigger than the pizza dough.
• Transfer 1 dough to each prepared sheet.
• Drizzle 2 teaspoons of Olive Oil over each Pizza Dough. 

• Mix all the spices (Red pepper flakes, Tandoori masala, Salt and Garam masala) with the grated 1 and 1/3 cups of Mozzarella.
• Sprinkle the above Mozzarella mix over the Pizza Dough, dividing equaling between the two and leaving a 1-inch border around each pizza. 
• Arrange the Paneer and Tomato slices in a single layer over the cheese.

• Sprinkle the remaining Mozzarella over it (or Parmesan if you like). 
• Arrange Basil leaves on top, drizzle with 1 teaspoon of Olive Oil (over the leaves) and sprinkle Garlic all over. 

• Bake the pizzas until the crusts are crisp and brown on the bottom and the cheese is melted on top, about 15-20 minutes. 

• Sprinkle some more Basil leaves as a garnish. 
• Cut the pizza into wedges and serve immediately.

Don’t forget to share and enjoy!

Recommended Reading:

• Debarshi’s Amuse Bouche
• Keto Pizza with Shrimp and Basil Pesto
• Chanar Dalna (Bengali recipe: Fresh Cheese and Potato Curry)
• Tandoori Masala
• Paneer Bhurji (Crumbled Fresh Cheese with sautéed Onions)
• Homemade Puff Pastry Dough
• Mamma’s Matar Paneer (Peas and Indian Cottage Cheese in a tomato gravy)
• Shahi Paneer (Indian Cottage Cheese in a creamy gravy)
• Easy Air Fryer Paneer Tikka