Seasonal sweet peaches and salty prosciutto top this divinely flavorful pizza with three cheeses -- mozzarella, fontina and Grana Padano -- along caramelized shallots. Finished with a drizzle of honey balsamic glaze and a scattering of fresh basil, this is relatively easy to prepare and will have you wanting more. Lots more. It's a keeper!
I'm thinking back on how this Peach and Prosciutto Pizza evolved. And there is a story!
It all started with a cooking competition -- The SPAM Cook-off -- held annually at my hometown's annual festival. It became a ritual for me to return to town to enter annually. My Dad spent his career at Hormel -- the maker of the fine meat in a can -- and was always eager to attend as my biggest fan to root me on!
Whether you like SPAM or not, it sure did perform well alongside peaches on a flatbread pizza. I made a few adjustments here and swapped out the SPAM for salty cured prosciutto. Otherwise, the recipe remains darn close to the one that was published in the local paper.
Feel free to stick with my original if you are of the ilk.
While I know how much I enjoy eating pizza, I forgot how much I enjoy making it, and look forward to adding more pizza pies to The Savory Tart. If you are looking for something to serve alongside my seasonal peach and prosciutto pizza, consider the following seasonal salads as a round-out to making a meal:
Corn, Tomato, Avocado and Hearts of Palm Salad
Marinated Tomato and Bread Salad with Olive, Orange and Za'atar Dressing
Heirloom Tomato and Arugula Salad with Buttermilk and Herb Dressing
Ruth's Creamy Dilled Cucumbers
Ingredients
- balsamic vinegar
- honey
- extra virgin olive oil
- shallots
- fresh thyme
- hot pepper flakes
- prepared or homemade pizza dough
- shredded low moisture mozzarella
- shredded fontina cheese
- fresh peaches
- prosciutto
- grated Grana Padano (sub Parmesan cheese)
- fresh basil
Low moisture mozzarella works best on pizza. Fresh mozzarella has too much moisture and will make your pizza "wet".
See recipe card for quantities.
Jump to RecipeInstructions
Place a pizza stone in an oven preheated to 450°F and heat stone for an hour. (If you don’t have a pizza stone, skip this step and bake the pizza on a baking sheet.)
In a small skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil, add shallots and sauté until softened and lightly caramelized, about 15 minutes.
In a small saucepan, combine balsamic vinegar and honey and heat over medium-high heat until reduced to about ⅓ cup, about 15-20 minutes, stirring regularly. Reserve.
Lightly dust two pieces of parchment paper (about 16” x 16”) with flour. Divide dough into two pieces and roll or press each into a 10” to 12” circle.
Brush with olive oil
Sprinkle with thyme and red pepper flakes
Top each evenly with mozzarella and fontina.
Top each with peaches and shallots.
Slide pizza on parchment onto pizza stone and bake for about 6 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle evenly with pecorino Romano cheese. Arrange strips of prosciutto evenly over the top.
Return to the oven and bake for 5 to 8 minutes until crust is golden and cheese is bubbling.
Remove from oven and drizzle with honey balsamic reduction.
Sprinkle with julienned basil.
Hint: I have yet to add a pizza peel to an array of kitchen implements that is bordering on questionable. Instead, I assemble my pizza on top of parchment paper and simply slide an un-rimmed cookie sheet under the parchment and slide the pizza onto the pizza stone for baking. It works equally as well for removing the pizza from the oven.
This does not mean that a pizza peel isn't in my future.
Substitutions & Variations
- Peaches - Try any ripe stone fruit instead, such as plums or nectarines. I think pitted fresh cherries would be fantastic on this pizza.
- Pizza Dough - I used pizza dough from Trader Joe's for this recipe, but any of the prepared pizza crusts will work as well. Follow the instructions on the package for baking instructions
- Shallots - Instead of shallots, use a small thinly sliced yellow or red onion instead. Or thinly slice the white and light greed section of a medium trimmed and cleaned leek.
- Prosciutto - Substitute other salty cured meats like speck, Coppa or Serrano ham. Even diced ham will work.
- Make it Spicy - Substitute the prosciutto with Nduja, Soppressata, or Copocolla
- Hot Honey - Add a kick of added spice with a drizzle of hot honey.
- Calabrian Chili Oil -- Add some heat with a drizzle of prepared chili oil
- Fontina Cheese -- Use another cheese with a nutty butter flavor profile like gruyere or gouda
- Grana Padano -- substitute Parmesan for its similar nutty flavor. Or consider Pecarino Romano for a bit of tang
- Burrata -- there is a place for burrata in this recipe as a variation -- a milder complement to the peaches and prosciutto. Instead of fontina, cut a ball of burrata in small pieces and arrange across the top of the mozzarella.
Equipment
- pizza stone or baking sheet
- small saucepan
- small skillet
- parchment paper
Storage
No doubt this is best eaten immediately! But store leftover pizza -- if there is any -- in the refrigerator covered for up to four days. Wrap well and freeze for up to three months. Reheat pizza on a baking sheet in the oven at 250°F for 10 - 15 minutes.
🍽️ Recipe
Peach and Prosciutto Pizza with Honey Balsamic Reduction and Basil
Equipment
- pizza stone, optional
- small saucepan
- small skillet
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 cup balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup honey
- 4 tablespoon olive oil divided
- 2 large shallots thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon fresh minced thyme
- A few pinches of hot pepper flakes
- 16 ounces pizza dough homemade or store bought
- Salt and pepper
- 8 ounces shredded low moisture mozzarella
- 4 ounces shredded fontina cheese
- 3 medium fresh peaches sliced in ⅓” slices
- 3 to 4 ounces prosciutto. Each slice divided into four pieces.
- ⅓ cup grated Grana Padano substitute Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup julienned fresh basil
Instructions
- Place a pizza stone in an oven preheated to 450°F and heat stone for an hour. (If you don’t have a pizza stone, skip this step and bake the pizza on a baking sheet.)
- In a small saucepan, combine balsamic vinegar and honey and heat over medium-high heat until reduced to about ⅓ cup, about 15-20 minutes, stirring regularly. Reserve
- In a small skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil, add shallots and sauté until softened and lightly caramelized, about 15 minutes.
- Lightly dust two pieces of parchment paper (about 16” x 16”) with flour. Divide dough into two pieces and roll or press each into a 10” to 12” circle. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with thyme and red pepper flakes. Top each evenly with mozzarella and fontina.
- Top each with peaches and shallots and bake on pizza stone for about 6 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle evenly with Grana Padang cheese. Arrange strips of prosciutto evenly over the top. Return to the oven and bake for 5 to 8 minutes until crust is golden and cheese is bubbling.
- Remove from oven and drizzle with honey balsamic reduction. Sprinkle with julienned basil.
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