Pear and Prosciutto Pizza

This pear pizza with prosciutto is the perfect combination of sweet and savory topped off with caramelized onions and makes for a great unique pizza.

Pizza, pizza, pizza - from charred Brussels sprouts pizza to peach BBQ chicken pizza.

For anyone that has followed our blog, there have been two prominent dishes I've shared countless times already... pizza and tacos! So today I thought I'd share one of the original unique pizza recipes Lauren and I made together - pear pizza with prosciutto.

15-year-old me wouldn't have even given this pizza a chance, but 30-year-old me absolutely loves it! The caramelization of the onions makes for a great sauce that gives the pizza a lovely sweetness that is offset by the saltiness of the crispy prosciutto. Oh and to make it a little healthier, there are some sliced pears in it as well.

This pear pizza is one of those recipes that might just change someone's opinion on onions or even prosciutto!

Before Lauren I met, she was not the biggest fan of prosciutto. Granted, she still doesn't like it cold like I do, but once cooked further where it turns crispy and even more delicious, Lauren couldn't deny liking it!

So hopefully you could use this as your "gateway drug" pizza to trying something a little more unique than a traditional pepperoni or cheese.

Jump to:

• Pear Pizza Ingredients
• Step-by-Step Instructions
• What Type of Pear Should I Use?
• What are Keys to No-Knead Pizza Dough?
• Do I Have To Make My Own Pizza Dough?
• Tips for Great Homemade Pizza
• Other Pizza Recipes
• Pear and Prosciutto Pizza

Pear Pizza Ingredients

• Pizza dough - use store-bought or homemade.
• Sweet onions - caramelizes and makes a great sauce.
• Pear - can't have a pear pizza without pears.
• Mozzarella - adds creaminess to the pizza.
• Prosciutto - gives you some saltiness and crunch.
• Parmesan cheese - adds a nutty flavor to the pear pizza.
• Walnuts - adds crunch and flavor.
• Baby arugula - gives some freshness to the pizza.
• Balsamic vinegar - gives a tart/fruity flavor.
• Cornmeal - helps prevent the pizza from sticking to peel.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Place pizza stone in oven 8" from the broiler element and preheat to 500°F. You want stone to be in oven for at least 30 minutes at 500°F. Heat medium skillet with 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 3 minutes with cover. Remove cover and continue to cook for an additional 20 minutes or until onions are golden brown, stirring frequently. Sprinkle pizza peel with cornmeal or flour. Use your hands to gently tug, pull and push the dough to the shape you want and place on pizza peel.
2. Spread caramelized onion evenly across the pizza dough, leaving an inch around the edges. Place the sliced pears on top of onions.
3. Add the mozzarella cheese and the prosciutto throughout the pizza. Finish topping with Parmesan cheese.
4. Once stone is preheated, turn broiler to high. Transfer pizza to pizza stone and bake for 4-5 minutes or until top is bubbly and bottom is golden brown. Remove from oven. Gently toss the balsamic with the arugula and top over pizza, along with the walnuts. Serve immediately.

What Type of Pear Should I Use?

Bartlett pears are my go-to for this pear pizza as they are sweet and juicy, with a buttery texture.

What are Keys to No-Knead Pizza Dough?

Honestly not much. Make sure you use lukewarm water for the yeast and then after you mix, just give it time to rise overnight. Probably the most important thing would be in a warm area, preferably around 72°F. After the dough has risen overnight transfer to a floured surface and shape in a ball, then let rise for a couple more hours.

Obviously with a no-knead dough you have to plan on making the pizza the following day. So if you’re like us and have Pizza Friday’s, you just make the dough Thursday night for this pear pizza.

Do I Have To Make My Own Pizza Dough?

Of course not. I just like making pizza dough, but you can buy fresh pizza dough where you roll out yourself or pre-baked crusts. I still suggest buying the fresh pizza dough. Most grocery stores carry it these days, but Trader Joe’s has the best!

Tips for Great Homemade Pizza

• Use Great Dough: While you can buy some dough from the store, I recommend making this no-knead pizza dough. You just make it the night before and light it rise for 24 hours before using.
• Spread Sauce Evenly: You will read a variety of opinions on sauce, but I’m a firm believer in lightly spreading the pizza sauce evenly. A sauce should compliment the pizza, but not be the star. This applies to the onions as well which act as a sauce.
• Use a Pizza Stone: Place the pizza stone in the oven 8″ from the broiler element. Turn the oven to 500°F. You want to place the pizza stone in a cold oven, otherwise it could crack. The pizza stone holds heat which allows you to get a golden brown crust on the bottom.
• Broil Pizza: Leave the pizza stone in the oven once it reaches 500°F for at least 30 minutes, but preferably an hour. When you are ready to make the pizza turn the broiler on. Transfer the pear pizza to the stone and bake for 4-5 minutes or until the top is bubbly and the bottom is golden brown.

Other Pizza Recipes

• Sun-Dried Tomato Prosciutto Pesto Pizza
• Apple Prosciutto Pizza
• Peach Prosciutto Balsamic Pizza
• Fig Prosciutto Pizza
• Spring Pizza

If you’ve tried this pear pizza or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.