Beetroot and goat’s cheese pizza with rocket

Remember that beer pizza dough I made yonks ago? Here’s an easy, ridiculously delicious pizza topping for you: beetroot! Not necessarily the first thing that comes to mind when you think of pizza, but an unbelievable choice nonetheless, especially with plenty of crumbled goat’s cheese and a big heap of fresh rocket.

We’re currently lucky enough that fresh beetroot is in season, but if you want to make this pizza at any other time of year, it works perfectly well with pickled beetroot too – in fact, that’s what I used. I do use fresh beetroot sometimes (see!), but when you want a quick dinner that doesn’t involve flicking deep red beetroot juice all over your kitchen as you peel the awkward thing, pickled beetroot is for you!

I used pickled baby beetroot from Haywards (they also do sliced beetroot if you’re feeling super lazy). I love the enormous jars this stuff comes in (but despite their size, my family usually has at least 3 of these in the cupboard at all times), and the beetroot itself is beautifully soft and sweet. It only takes a few seconds to chop it up, then just pop it right on your pizza.

I used basil pesto instead of tomato sauce on my pizza – the flavour goes perfectly with the tangy goat’s cheese and sweet beetroot, and the peppery rocket finishes it all off perfectly (don’t skip it!). I also used a tiny bit of mozzarella, to give those nice crispy bits on top!

By the way, if you’re at all concerned that using pickled beetroot will give your pizza a really vinegary taste, don’t be! The flavour mellows a lot when the beetroot is cooked, so even if you’re not a fan of pickled beetroot straight out of the jar, you’ll love this pizza. I could have quite easily polished off the lot (…I didn’t though).

To see more recipes using Haywards beetroot (including this one!) and pickled onions, take a look at their website!

Print Recipe

Beetroot and goat's cheese pizza with rocket

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Total Time25 mins

Course: Main meal

Servings: 2

Calories:

Author: Becca Heyes

Ingredients

• 1 homemade or shop-bought pizza crust
• 2 tbsp basil pesto
• 3 Hayward's pickled baby beetroots sliced
• 50 g soft goat’s cheese crumbled
• 2 tbsp shredded mozzarella
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Fresh rocket to serve

Instructions

• Place the pizza crust on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Spread the pesto over the pizza crust, and add the sliced beetroots and crumbled goat's cheese. Sprinkle over the grated mozzarella, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
• Bake for around 10-15 minutes, until the pizza crust is golden brown and crispy. Serve topped with plenty of fresh rocket.

Here’s another great way to use beetroot – pearl barley and roasted beetroot salad with maple balsamic dressing: