Easy & Elegant: Garlic Shrimp and Roasted Red Pepper Pesto Pizzettes with Mahon-Menorca Cheese
Elevate your appetizer game with these stunning Pizzettes featuring succulent Garlic Shrimp and a vibrant Roasted Red Pepper Pesto, perfected with the distinct flavor of Mahon-Menorca Cheese. These irresistible bites are not only incredibly easy to prepare using store-bought pizza dough but also promise an unforgettable taste experience, making them the ideal showstopper for any holiday gathering or special occasion.
This is a sponsored post by Mahon Menorca Cheese.
I’m thrilled to share my second creation as part of an exciting blogger challenge for Mahon-Menorca cheeses. Following the fantastic reception of my first recipe, Cheesy Pasta Bake in Individual Ramekins, which quickly became a reader favorite, I set out to craft another dish that truly highlights the exquisite qualities of this Spanish cheese. This challenge is more than just a competition; it’s an opportunity to inspire home cooks like you to explore new flavors and appreciate the artisanal excellence of Mahon-Menorca. My goal is for you to savor every bite of this recipe and discover a new favorite cheese in the process. Be sure to also check out my third recipe in this series: Veal Rollatini with Menorca Cheese, Roasted Peppers and Basil in Tomato Olive Sauce.
This post may contain affiliate links. You can read my disclosure policy HERE.
Pizzette with Garlic Shrimp & Roasted Red Pepper Pesto: A Spanish-Inspired Holiday Masterpiece
With the festive season often bringing a desire for both elegance and ease in entertaining, I am delighted to present this pizzette recipe just in time for Christmas and beyond. While perfectly suited as a holiday appetizer, its vibrant flavors and impressive presentation make it a year-round delight for any occasion. These pizzettes are guaranteed to deliver that coveted “wow” factor – they are as visually appealing as they are incredibly delicious.
My culinary journey for this challenge naturally led me to infuse these pizzettes with classic Spanish flavors, harmonizing beautifully with the Mahon-Menorca cheese. The garlic shrimp component takes its inspiration from the beloved Spanish tapas dish, Gambas Al Ajillo. This means a generous amount of fresh garlic, bright parsley, and a crucial hint of spicy Spanish smoked paprika. The paprika, with its deep, smoky aroma and subtle heat, transforms the shrimp from good to utterly extraordinary, imparting a layer of complexity that elevates the entire dish.
Traditionally, pizza or pizzette often rely on a tomato sauce base and mozzarella. However, to truly innovate and complement the Spanish theme, I opted for a rich and flavorful Roasted Red Pepper Pesto. This pesto, made with toasted walnuts and the distinct character of Cured Mahon-Menorca Cheese, offers a unique depth that sets these pizzettes apart. To finish, a layer of shredded Semi-Cured Mahon-Menorca Cheese melts into a golden perfection, tying all the flavors together. I can honestly say, with no exaggeration, that this might be the most flavorful piece of pizza I’ve ever tasted, and its stunning appearance is just an added bonus!
Crafting Your Own Pizzettes with Garlic Shrimp & Roasted Red Pepper Pesto
Making these gourmet pizzettes at home is surprisingly simple, especially with a few key tips and tricks. Follow these steps for an appetizer that will impress everyone:
Step 1: Prepare Your Oven for Perfect Pizzette. The secret to a crispy pizzette crust lies in a hot pizza stone. Begin by placing your pizza stone in the oven and preheating it to 450°F (230°C). Once the oven reaches temperature, allow the stone to continue heating for an additional 15-30 minutes. This ensures the stone is thoroughly hot, which is crucial for achieving that authentic pizzeria-quality crust when the pizzettes hit its surface.
Step 2: Gather and Prepare Your Ingredients. For optimal results, take your store-bought pizza dough out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before you plan to start assembling the pizzettes. This allows the dough to relax and become easier to work with. If your walnuts are raw, quickly toast them in a dry skillet or oven for a few minutes until fragrant; skip this if they’re pre-roasted. Peel and finely chop 6 cloves of garlic for the shrimp, and prepare the parsley. Finally, shred both your Cured and Semi-Cured Mahon-Menorca Cheeses as specified in the recipe.
Step 3: Blend the Bold Roasted Red Pepper Pesto. This pesto is the heart of the pizzette’s unique flavor. In a food processor, combine the roasted red peppers (drained from the jar), your toasted walnuts, the shredded Cured Mahon-Menorca Cheese, one clove of garlic, and a generous pour of extra virgin olive oil. Pulse these ingredients until they are well combined into a coarse pesto texture. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed, then process again until you achieve your desired consistency. Set this vibrant pesto aside.
Step 4: Master the Pizza Dough. Working with pizza dough can be tricky, but a little flour and semolina will prevent sticking. Sprinkle a thin layer of flour mixed with semolina onto your pizza peel. Divide your ½ pound of store-bought pizza dough into 6 equal small balls. Gently stretch or roll each ball into a small, roughly square-shaped pizzette base. The semolina provides a gritty texture that helps the dough slide easily off the peel and onto the hot stone.
Step 5: Assemble and Bake Your Pizzettes. Spoon approximately a tablespoon of the roasted red pepper pesto onto each pizzette base and spread it evenly, leaving a small border for the crust. Generously top each with the shredded Semi-Cured Mahon-Menorca Cheese. Carefully slide each pizzette, one at a time, onto the preheated pizza stone in your oven. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the crust is golden and crispy, and the cheese is bubbly and slightly browned. Remove the baked pizzettes from the oven using the pizza peel and set them aside on a dry surface.
Step 6: Sauté the Spanish-Style Garlic Shrimp. While your pizzettes are baking, prepare the flavorful garlic shrimp. Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the butter and extra virgin olive oil. Once the butter is melted and shimmering, add the finely chopped garlic and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant, being careful not to burn it. Add the cleaned shrimp (tails removed for easier eating), season with a pinch of salt, and cook for approximately 2 minutes per side, until pink and opaque. Finish by sprinkling with Spanish smoked paprika and fresh chopped parsley. Remove from heat and set aside, allowing the flavors to meld.
Step 7: Final Assembly and Serving. Once your hot pizzettes are out of the oven, it’s time to crown them. Scoop two garlic shrimp onto each pizzette. Drizzle any remaining garlic-infused butter and parsley sauce from the skillet over the shrimp and pesto for an extra burst of flavor. Serve immediately and watch them disappear!
Essential Equipment for This Delicious Pizzette Recipe:
Having the right tools can make all the difference in preparing these pizzettes with ease and precision:
- Pizza Stone: Crucial for achieving that perfectly crispy crust.
- Pizza Peel: Essential for safely transferring pizzettes into and out of a hot oven.
- Set of Knives: For chopping garlic, parsley, and other ingredients.
- Food Processor: To efficiently blend your roasted red pepper pesto.
- Cheese Grater: For freshly shredding both types of Mahon-Menorca Cheese.
- Frying Pan: For cooking the delicious Spanish-style garlic shrimp.
Discovering Mahon-Menorca Cheeses: A Taste of Spanish Tradition
Mahon-Menorca Cheese is a true culinary treasure, distinguished by its Protected Guarantee of Origin (PGO) status. This designation signifies that the cheese’s exceptional quality and characteristics are intrinsically linked to its geographical origin – the beautiful island of Menorca, Spain. The unique climate, native livestock, and centuries-old cheesemaking traditions on Menorca contribute to a cheese unlike any other. Using Mahon-Menorca cheese in this recipe not only adds authentic Spanish flavor but also introduces a gourmet touch that elevates the entire dish.
The PGO covers a range of Mahon-Menorca cheeses, each offering a distinct profile depending on its maturity:
- TENDER (Tierno): Aged for a shorter period, typically 21-60 days, this cheese is wonderfully soft and creamy with a yellowish-white color and a barely developed crust. Its flavor is predominantly milky with delicate undertones of butter, making it a gentle introduction to Mahon-Menorca. While not used in this specific recipe, it’s a delightful cheese for fresh consumption.
- SEMI-CURED (Semi-Curado): This is the versatile star of our pizzette topping! Aged between 2-5 months, Semi-Cured Mahon-Menorca Cheese has a firm yet easy-to-cut texture and a distinctive orange rind. Inside, you’ll find irregular holes and a milky, more developed flavor that hints at toasted nuts and dried fruit. Its balanced profile and excellent melting properties make it perfect for shredding over our pizzettes, adding a layer of creamy, complex richness.
- CURED (Curado): A true indulgence for cheese aficionados, Cured Mahon-Menorca is aged for more than 5 months. Its texture is firm and hard, often flaking upon cutting in its more mature stages. This cheese boasts a highly developed flavor and aroma, with intense, complex notes that are profoundly savory. We’ve incorporated this robust cheese into our roasted red pepper pesto, where its strong character provides a powerful flavor base that balances the sweetness of the peppers and the richness of the walnuts.
Keep an eye out for a newer addition to the Mahon-Menorca family: a Traditional Style cheese made with Raw Milk, aged for 6 months. This variety offers an even more complex and intense flavor experience for those seeking deep, artisanal cheese notes.
Mahon-Menorca Cheese: Readily Available in the U.S.
Good news for cheese lovers! Despite its exotic origins, Mahon-Menorca Cheese is surprisingly accessible across the United States. You can often find all varieties at your local Whole Foods Market. Beyond that, many specialty grocery stores and larger supermarket chains proudly carry this exceptional Spanish cheese. Look for it at:
- Fairway
- West Side Market
- Gourmet Garage
- Saveway
- Murray’s
- Kroger
- Costco (check your local store for availability)
- Central Markets
- Central Market
- Town & Country Markets in Seattle
- And numerous other gourmet and specialty food retailers throughout the country.
Don’t hesitate to ask your local cheesemonger if you can’t find it; they might be able to order it for you!
More Spanish-Inspired Recipes to Explore
If you’ve fallen in love with the Spanish flavors in these pizzettes, I invite you to explore more culinary delights inspired by the Iberian Peninsula and Mahon-Menorca Cheese:
- Mahon-Menorca Pinwheels with Serrano Ham and Fig Jam;
- Pan Seared Ribeye with Mahon Menorca Cheese Sauce and Cracked Pepper;
- Romesco Sauce;
- Spanish Style Tuna Stew;
- Andalusian Gazpacho.
Pizzette with Garlic Shrimp and Roasted Red Pepper Pesto
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Ingredients
For Pizzette
- 1/2 cup Semi-Cured Mahon-Menorca Cheese shredded
- 1/2 lbs Pizza Dough store-bought
For Roasted Pepper Pesto
- 1 cup Roasted peppers from the jar
- 1/2 cup Walnuts toasted or store-bought roasted
- 1 clove Garlic
- 1/4 cup Cured Mahon-Menorca Cheese shredded
- 3 tbsp Olive Oil Extra Virgin
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Garlic Shrimp
- 12 Shrimp medium size, cleaned, tails removed
- 6 cloves Garlic finely chopped
- 1 tbsp Butter unsalted
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil Extra Virgin
- 2 tbsp Parsley chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon Spanish Smoked Paprika
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
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Preheat your oven. Place your pizza stone in the oven and heat it up to 450F. After the oven reaches the temperature let the stone continue to heat up for another 15-30 minutes before sliding pizzette pieces onto it.
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Prepare your ingredients. Take the pizza dough out of the fridge a half hour before making pizzette. Toast your walnuts if you bought them raw (not necessary if you bought them roasted), peel your garlic (chop 6 of them), chop the parsley, and shred your Mahon-Menorca cheeses.
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Make Roasted Pepper Pesto. In a food processor combine roasted peppers, toasted walnuts, shredded Cured Mahon Menorca Cheese, garlic, and extra virgin olive oil. Pulse to combine. Taste for seasoning. Add salt & pepper and process until all ingredients are well combined into a pesto. Set aside.
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Work with pizza dough. To avoid the dreaded pizza dough stickiness, spread some flour with semolina on your pizza peel. Divide pizza dough into small balls and stretch into little squares (from 1/2 lbs of store-bought pizza dough you should make 6 pizzettes).
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Prepare and bake pizzette. Add about a tablespoon of pesto onto each pizzette and spread around. Top with shredded semi-cured Mahon Menorca Cheese and, one at the time, slide onto the hot pizza stone in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove one at the time back on the dry pizza peel.
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Make Garlic Shrimp. While your pizza is cooking, heat up a skillet and add butter with olive oil and garlic. Cook for 1 minute, then add shrimp. Season with a pinch of salt and cook shrimp for about 2 minutes on each side. Sprinkle smoked paprika and chopped parsley and set aside.
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Assemble pizzette. Once your pizzette is out of the oven, scoop two shrimp on each one. Spoon some more garlic, parsley sauce on the top and then serve.
Nutrition
This post is proudly sponsored by Mahon Menorca Cheese. Follow Mahon Menorca on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to discover more about this exceptional cheese and its culinary versatility.
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