Celebrate World Pizza Day with Joy

A global celebration of everyone’s favourite cheesy, saucy comfort food. Although pizza’s origins trace back to Naples, Italy, where the modern version first emerged in the 18th century, this special day is more about sharing the joy pizza brings to tables worldwide. And, what better way to spread joy than with a delicious fresh tomato and basil pesto homemade pizza made in the air fryer? Recipe compliments of InstantPot.

Ingredients

For the dough:

1 tsp instant or active dry yeast

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

⅓ cup olive oil, plus additional for drizzling

For the toppings:

¾ cup Pesto Princess Fresh Tomato Sauce

2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

½ red onion, finely sliced

3 Tbsp Pesto Princess Basil Pesto

2 Tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

¼ cup basil, chopped

Method

To prepare the pizza dough, sprinkle the yeast over 1½ cups of warm (not lukewarm) water. Let it stand for a few minutes.

Combine the flour and salt in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Turn the mixer on low speed and drizzle in the oil until combined with the flour. Next, pour in the yeast mixture and mix until just combined and the dough comes together in a sticky mass.

Coat a separate mixing bowl with a light drizzle of olive oil and form the dough into a ball. Toss to coat the dough in the oil, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and set aside for at least 1 hour at room temperature. You can also store it in the fridge until you need it, up to 4 days ahead. Bring the refrigerated dough to room temperature before using. Tip: The dough is best made at least 24 hours in advance.

Preheat the air fryer to 180°C. Spray the Air Fryer tray with non-stick cooking spray.

Roll out the pizza dough to fit your air fryer basket. Carefully transfer it to the air fryer and cook for 5 minutes. Pre-cooking the crust will give you a crispy crust without overcooking the toppings.

Remove the pizza base from the air fryer. Spoon on Pesto Princess Fresh Tomato Cooking Sauce and sprinkle with mozzarella. Add the halved tomatoes and red onion, then season with salt and pepper.

Place the pizza back into the Air Fryer and cook for 10 minutes, until the cheese has melted. Mix two tablespoons of Pesto Princess Basil Pesto with your olive oil, and drizzle over the cooked pizza. Top with fresh basil and serve.