Prepared with homemade sun dried tomato pesto and lots of melted, gooey cheese, Pesto Pizza Taquitos are baked in the oven with a garlic and parmesan topping. Sounds irresistible, right?
I love to make my own Sun Dried Tomato Pesto at home. It’s always so much butter than the stuff you can buy in the jars. The price for homemade is much more though. But, you do get a lot more pesto, and you know exactly what’s in it and it tastes super fresh. I used my homemade version in these Pesto Pizza Taquitos, but store-bought will be perfectly fine.
Because it makes a larger batch, I’m always thinking about new ways to use it. Sure, one can never go wrong with huge bowls of pasta, but sometimes you need something different. Pesto Pizza Taquitos was just the answer!
By the way, taquitos are not only for lunch or dinner. I have a breakfast version that will knock your socks off! Check out my Breakfast Sausage and Egg Taquitos!
PESTO PIZZA TAQUITOS
These are very easy to make. In fact, if you have kids who are always asking if they can make dinner or help out in the kitchen, this is just the recipe!
Prepared them just as I did, or you can add some of your favourite pizza toppings if you wish. Because John.e is a vegetarian, I made this without any meat at all. But, now that I’m writing this, I’m craving taquitos made with pepperoni.
Since these bake really quickly, I would advise you to cook some meats and veggies beforehand, if you decide to use them. Bacon, for instance, would need to be cooked first. The same goes for some veggies. I would certainly cook mushrooms first. You’ll also rid the mushrooms of some water content. No one likes a soggy taquito!
I’d apply the same logic to peppers and onions. Now, I’m not a huge fan of raw onions or bell peppers. If you are, then you could get away with leaving them raw in this recipe.
TIPS AND TRICKS
Now, most recipes that use a flour tortilla will instruct you to roll it up tightly. That is most certainly not the case in this recipe. I don’t care for baked tortilla on tortilla. The texture feels a little gummy to me. Here’s how I do it.
I lay the tortilla flat on a cutting board. Then, I spread the pesto out all over the tortilla, but leave the top one inch clean. Next, I add the cheese. I sprinkle it over the sauced portion of the tortilla as evenly as I can get it. If you’re adding any toppings, place those on next.
When you roll up the tortillas, start from the lower edge, or the edge that is the exact opposite of that one inch of clean space you have left. Roll lightly. You want to refrain from pushing the cheese and sauce as you roll. Try to keep it where it is. This will create layers as you go along.
Once you get to the very end, and the tortilla is completely rolled, carefully transfer the taquito the prepared baking sheet. Keep the seam at the bottom. As the taquito bakes, and crisps up, the seam will seal, so no need to worry.
HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE PESTO PIZZA TAQUITOS:
- Flour Tortillas – Normally, I use 10 inch tortillas, but for this recipe, I used the 8 inch. You can use the larger if you wish. Also, feel free to experiment with flavours. I used plain, because that’s what I had on hand.
- Sun Dried Tomato Pesto – You can use my recipe and whip up a batch of your own. Or, you can use store-bought. Most store-bought pesto will have layer or oil on top. Pour that off, otherwise, your taquitos will be soggy and greasy.
- Cheddar Cheese – Who doesn’t love cheddar cheese on a pizza? These taquitos are no different! You can use just about anything, even the more traditional mozzarella.
- Italian Seasoning – Even though the pesto has great flavour, I love the extra flavour of the Italian seasoning. Plus, pesto doesn’t usually have oregano, and a good pizza taquito needs oregano!
- Butter – Just a bit is needed and only to brush the tops with.
- Parmesan – The saltiness is such a great addition to the tops of these taquitos.
- Fresh Garlic – finely minced or grated, it goes into the melted butter for even more flavour.
HOW TO MAKE PESTO PIZZA TAQUITOS:
- Start by having your ingredients ready to go. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray it lightly with non-stick spray. Set aside.
- Working with one tortilla at a time, lay it flat on a cutting board. Spread the entire surface, with the exception of the top 1 inch, with a heaping tablespoon of pesto.
- Top with shredded cheese and a sprinkling of Italian seasoning.
- Gently and lightly roll the tortilla up, working toward the 1 inch of space you left un-sauced.
- Transfer rolled tortilla to the prepared baking sheet with the seam side down.
- Continue until all of the tortillas are rolled.
- Next, melt the butter and garlic in the microwave. Add the dried parsley and stir to combine.
- Brush the tops of each taquito with the butter mixture.
- Sprinkle over the parmesan cheese.
- Bake for 10 minutes or until the taquitos are golden brown.
As you can see in the photographs, I removed them, one by one, from the baking sheet and piled them onto a serving plate. It’s a good idea to wait a few minutes before attempting to do this. The melted cheese and the pesto is so hot. It’s like lava! If you try to lift it out right away, the cheese will drip out of the taquito.
Serve these with a nice salad for a complete meal. I served ours with a Caesar Salad, but I also had a helping of my Newfoundland Donair Sauce. Since John.e is not a fan of sweet dipping sauce, I made him some Sun Dried Tomato Dipping Sauce. Because, I put that on just about everything! Enjoy!
Pesto Pizza Taquitos
Ingredients
- 10 small flour tortillas (8 inch tortillas)
- 3/4 cup sun dried tomato pesto
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Start by having your ingredients ready to go. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray it lightly with non-stick spray. Set aside.
- Working with one tortilla at a time, lay it flat on a cutting board. Spread the entire surface, with the exception of the top 1 inch, with a heaping tablespoon of pesto.
- Top with shredded cheese and a sprinkling of Italian seasoning.
- Gently and lightly roll the tortilla up, working toward the 1 inch of space you left un-sauced.
- Transfer rolled tortilla to the prepared baking sheet with the seam side down.
- Continue until all of the tortillas are rolled.
- Next, melt the butter and garlic in the microwave. Add the dried parsley and stir to combine.
- Brush the tops of each taquito with the butter mixture.
- Sprinkle over the parmesan cheese.
- Bake for 10 minutes or until the taquitos are golden brown.
- Remove from oven and let rest for 3 minutes before serving.
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