Spring Vegetable Brunch Pizza

A pizza topped with pistachio pesto, asparagus, radish, green onion, prosciutto, and a runny egg, perfect for brunch time.

Pizza + runny egg yolk = BEST brunch ever!

One of my husband and I’s favorite brunch spots in our neighborhood during the summer is a pizza joint called Parlor. It has an amazing outside patio, mimosas with your own mini bottle of champagne and choice of 2 different juices (yes!), and of course, pizza. The place has an awesome vibe and as soon as it’s warm, we take advantage of the big patio. And it serves pizza for brunch, which makes me a happy girl.

With the warmer weather, the patio at Parlor has finally opened back up and it got my craving summertime and pizza.

It inspired me to make my own version of a brunch pizza, using fresh seasonal ingredients. The base of the pizza is a homemade pistachio pesto. The toppings are some of my favorite spring vegetables, asparagus, radishes, and green onions. It’s topped with salty, rich prosciutto. And to complete it and make it brunch appropriate, a runny egg.

The pizza is not overdone with toppings so the simple fresh ingredients really shine. And the runny egg yolk adds a delicious richness that brings it all together and makes it feel like an eggs Benedict. Its the perfect, fun, delicious meal for brunch.

Let’s get to cooking.

One of my absolute favorite spring vegetables is asparagus. It’s mild in flavor and I love how the tops get crispy and charred when baked. It also works so well on pizza!

I also love radishes for their crisp crunch and beautiful color.

Lately, I’ve been obsessed with pesto. There is so much fresh basil in my local grocery store lately (and it’s from a local farm in Chicago), so I have been making pesto like crazy. There are so many fun creative variations of pesto, you can play around to make it unique each time.

For the pizza, I kept it pretty simple and classic but swiped out the pine nuts for pistachios. Pistachios have a slightly sweet flavor which pairs well with the garlic and basil in the pesto. They all break down nicely (similar to a pine nut) so it adds texture to the pesto without making it too crunchy.

To make the pesto, you first pulse and break down the nuts with sea salt in a food processor. Then I add in the basil, garlic, and cheese and pulse until combined. Next, add in the lemon juice and vinegar. Lastly, drizzle in the olive oil from the opening in the top of the food processor and mix until the pesto comes together to form a paste like consistency. I wanted a thicker pesto to it would spread nicely on the pizza.

I also used Trader Joe’s garlic and herb pizza dough. The addition of garlic and herbs in the dough plays nicely with the garlic and herbs in the pesto.

I love that the dough is pre-made (so less work for me) and bakes up beautifully. It’s a great alternative for making your own homemade dough.

Using a little flour, you can press out the dough to make about a 10 inch diameter pizza.

I gently press the dough with my hands until it creates a round shaped pizza.

Next, spread on the pesto. Top with fresh mozzarella. Then add the toppings (except the prosciutto and egg).

The key to making pizza at home is having a nicely pre-heaved oven at a high temperature (to mimic a high heat pizza oven as much as possible). I set my oven a 450 degrees for at least an hour before baking.

Bake the pizza for 15 minutes. Take it out and then add the egg. Bake for another 5 minutes or until the egg is set. If you add the egg and the beginning, it will over cook. The egg only needs about 5 minutes or so for the whites to set but for the egg yolk to be runny. And you need the runny egg yolk. It adds another depth of flavor and creaminess to the pizza.

Finally, top your pizza with the prosciutto and some fresh scallions.

Your brunch pizza is done. I recommend serving it with mimosas or a Bloody Mary to complete the brunch experience. Let’s be real, 2 brunch musts are brunch cocktails and runny egg yolks.

Now grab a slice and enjoy!

This pizza is fresh, simple, and delicious.

And it’s packed with veggies, so I consider it a relatively healthy treat for brunch. Life is all about balance. And you should enjoy your favorite foods, but by adding vegetables and using fresh ingredients, it helps make it healthier, smarter choice.

Plus, brunch is about being a little indulgent. And pizza for brunch is the perfect way to treat yo self.

ENJOY!