Pizza with Prosciutto and Figs
This Pizza with Prosciutto and Figs features luscious fresh figs, savory prosciutto, and tangy bleu cheese atop basil pesto. Finished with a simple peppery arugula salad, this unique pizza is a standalone meal… no side salad needed!
I cannot endure to waste anything so precious as autumnal sunshine by staying in the house.
~~ Nathaniel Hawthorne, The American Notebooks
👩🏻🍳 Tamara Talks – About Figs and Pizza
2015 POST – I am still trying to adjust to the subtropical climate of south Texas’ Rio Grande Valley. My east coast family and friends, and even those in New Mexico, might chuckle to hear me describe a day in the autumn sunshine in McAllen, Texas. All things are relative, right? 🙂
We’ve finally dropped into the eighties during the day, and sunset on the patio beckons! Thus, my fig and soppressata pizza was assembled on the pizza stone accessory for our new propane grill, and cooked outdoors. As the sun sets, a few fireflies twinkle about. I may eventually adjust to the land of eternal summer…
2024 UPDATE – Fast forward to this recipe update. This pizza recipe was badly in need of updated photos, text, and format. Here you go!
Fresh figs are our “star” ingredient. Figs typically have a short initial season in early June, and an extended season that runs late summer into fall. Figs don’t tolerate freezing temperatures well, and may be more difficult to find in colder climates.
I have had to throw out most of an egg crate type container of Brown Turkey Figs that I left on my butcher block for 24 hours. The combination of the warmth and humidity of my perfectly ripe figs in an enclosed container provided ideal growing conditions for mold. If your figs are ripe, store them in a cool, dry place, not in an enclosed plastic carton. The refrigerator will rob them of some of their flavor. You’ll just have to eat them within a day or two!
Lastly, I decided to use my oven as I know that is what most of my readers have available. If you want grilling instructions, reach out to tamara@beyondmeresustenance.com. Also, I changed it up a little bit, opting to use prosciutto (more available) rather than soppressata, and bleu cheese rather than goat cheese. Feel free to switch it up!
📋 Ingredients Notes
Here is a quick look at the ingredients in the recipe – it’s handy to use at the grocery store or as a summary of what you need. Skip to the recipe for quantities.
- Pizza dough – Making your own pizza dough “makes” the pizza. (Please don’t substitute a ready-made crust. If you need to skip this step, buy ready-made dough, and bake it with the pizza.) This Pizza Dough Recipe hits just the right balance of crispy bottom, tender and soft interior, and delicious flavor. I do need to work quite a bit of additional flour into the prepared dough to roll it out on my pizza stone. This recipe yields 2 medium-sized crusts that serve 2 to 3 people. You can always refrigerate or freeze half the dough for another meal.
- Fresh figs – Fresh figs are our “star” ingredient. Figs typically have a short initial season in early June, and an extended season that runs late summer into fall. Figs don’t tolerate freezing temperatures well, and may be more difficult to find in colder climates. The fruit is very fragile, bruises easily, and may spoil if neglected. 😥 See About Figs for more information.
- Prosciutto – Prosciutto is an Italian dry-cured ham that is thinly sliced and often served uncooked, a style known as prosciutto crudo. Made from pork, prosciutto is aged for months using traditional methods that involve salting and air drying, which intensifies its flavor and tenderizes the meat. It has a subtly sweet, savory, and slightly salty flavor. Substitute soppressata (my original choice) to change it up!
- Basil pesto – Basil pesto provides the base for this pizza. Of course homemade is delicious, but quite honestly, the recipe will not suffer in the least if you substitute a good quality prepared pesto.
- Cheese – Bleu cheese is my favorite cheese on this pizza, but feel free to choose your favorite bold flavored cheese. Chèvre and feta are good substitutions if you don’t do bleu cheese. I do highly recommend finishing the pizza with either fresh mozzarella or a little hard, aged cheese like parmesan, asiago, or pecorino.
- Arugula salad – Once the pizza is baked, we’re topping it with arugula lightly dressed with sherry vinegar and olive oil (salt and pepper).
🔪 Step-By-Step Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450℉/232℃.
- Roll out the pizza dough – Roll dough as thin as you like it on a pizza stone sprinkled with cornmeal. NOTE: As shown in the photos, I halved the pizza dough. We’re empty-nesters, and I cook for 2 almost exclusively. I find that it’s easier to do individual pizzas when I’m including a salad like this clam pizza.
- Begin to assemble the pizza – Spread pizza dough with pesto as though you were buttering bread. Arrange the cheese, sliced figs, and prosciutto over top. NOTE: I use fresh mozzarella which is not easy to grate. I cut it into thin slices. Also, you want the bleu cheese very cold as that makes it easier to crumble. I have been known to put it in the freezer for a few minutes to facilitate this process!
- Add the remaining toppings – Arrange the sliced figs and prosciutto over top. NOTE: The prosciutto is not pictured in this shot. I do like to put it on the top so that it gets crispy edges!
- Make the arugula salad – Meanwhile, whisk the sherry vinegar and the olive oil. Toss with the arugula, and generously season with salt and pepper.
- Finish the pizza – Bake 10-15 minutes until crust and cheese show some caramelization.
- To serve – Top pizza(s) with arugula salad. enjoy!
that is tossed with sherry vinaigrette. A tasty, one dish meal!
❓FAQ
It’s not bad. I would not add the arugula salad to any pizza that may need reheating.
As I mentioned above, I first created this pizza with soppressata, and it is really good. I have not tried it with Serrano or Iberico ham, but I’m sure it would be delicious as well!
💭Tips
- Figs are very fragile, bruise easily, and may spoil if neglected. 😥 If your figs are ripe, store them in a cool, dry place, not in an enclosed plastic carton. The refrigerator will rob them of some of their flavor. You’ll just have to eat them within a day or two! About Figs.
- I have learned over the years that one key to really good Italian cooking is the quality of your ingredients. The first ingredient in a prepared pesto should be basil, followed by extra virgin olive oil, pignolias (pine nuts or pinions), and pecorino romano or parmesan cheese. I looked at the ingredients lists on several jars while working on this recipe, and found 2 that listed safflower oil as the first ingredient. Yuck! 😛
The addition of an arugula salad lightly dressed with a sherry vinaigrette makes this a one-dish meal that you’re sure to enjoy. Fresh Fig & Soppressata Pizza… your own bit of autumnal sunshine!
Pizza with Prosciutto and Figs Recipe
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Ingredients
Pizza
- 10-12 ounces pizza dough for 12 inch crust - see Ingredients Notes in post
- cornmeal - to sprinkle
- 3 tablespoons pesto - see Ingredients Notes in post
- 5 to 6 fresh figs - sliced
- 3 ounces prosciutto - shaved and torn into pieces
- 2 ounces bleu cheese - crumbled
- 2 ounces fresh mozzarella - sliced thin or grated
Arugula Salad
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar*
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cups arugula - rinsed and dried
- sea salt/fresh ground pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450℉/232℃.
- Roll dough as thin as you like it on a pizza stone sprinkled with cornmeal.
- Spread pizza dough with pesto as though you were buttering bread.
- Arrange the cheese, sliced figs, and prosciutto over top.
- Bake 10-15 minutes until crust and cheese show some caramelization.
- Meanwhile, whisk the sherry vinegar and the olive oil. Toss with the arugula, and generously season with salt and pepper.
- When the pizza is done, slice. Mound the arugula salad over top. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
NOTE: Macronutrients are an approximation only using unbranded ingredients and MyFitnessPal.com. Please do your own research with the products you’re using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.
I can’t overstate how much I enjoy this pizza. It’s truly fantastic. It’s a very versatile recipe, too. Pesto, figs, sliced cured meat, a strong cheese and a mild cheese – there you go. Just keep the dressing on the arugula salad as simple as possible. If you make your own crust, go the extra mile and use 00 flour; it really does make a difference.
What a pizza!!! Love your selection of ingredients – fruity, salty, herby. Love this! I’d be making this tomorrow is I could find the ingredients. Figs have disappeared in this part of the country. I’ve pinned it for next time.
Hi MJ! I usually could get figs for about 2 weeks in Las Cruces – from Toucan Market (natural foods) and my friends’ tree. Having spent my teenage years in California’s central valley, I’ve loved them since I was a girl. I was pretty excited to see them at the McAllen HEB for a couple of months now! I do hope you get to try it. I love fruity, salty, and herby. 🙂
What a great looking pizza! I have never tried fresh figs before, but I would love to try it!!
I hope you do Cathleen! I’ve loved figs since I was a teenager and had to harvest 2 acres of them with my sister… in the heat of the Fresno, CA. summer 🙂 They can be hard to find, and don’t last long. I hope you get to try them! Thanks for stopping by.