Tomato Basil Pizza Rolls

5 from 1 vote

Tomato Basil Pizza Rolls are the ultimate easy homemade appetizer loaded with marinara, pesto, and melty cheese. Ready in 40 minutes and totally irresistible

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: people

Author: Gaby Dalkin

Ingredients

1 pound pizza dough at room temperature
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup marinara sauce
¼ cup basil pesto
1 ¼ cup shredded mozzarella divided
¼ cup shredded fontina cheese cheese
¼ cup parmesan cheese freshly grated, divided
handful of basil leaves torn, plus more for serving

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil evenly over the surface.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll the pizza dough out into a rectangle, roughly 9 by 16 inches.
Spread the marinara sauce evenly over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges. Add dollops of basil pesto across the surface, then top with 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella, all of the fontina, a few torn basil leaves, and 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan.
Starting from the long bottom edge, carefully roll the dough into a tight cylinder. Place it seam-side down on a cutting board. Using a sharp, thin knife, slice the log into 8 equal pieces and arrange them cut-side up on the prepared baking sheet.
Brush the exposed edges of the dough with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the rolls are golden brown and cooked through.
During the last 2 minutes of baking, pull the rolls from the oven and sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup of mozzarella and a light dusting of the remaining Parmesan. Return to the oven until the cheese is fully melted and bubbling. Let the rolls rest for 5 minutes, then top with fresh torn basil and serve warm.

Notes

Use room temperature dough. Cold dough is really hard to roll out without it snapping back. Let it sit on the counter for at least 20 to 30 minutes before you start.
Do not overload the filling. It is tempting to pile it on, but too much sauce will make rolling the dough difficult and the rolls can fall apart when you slice them.
Use a sharp knife or unflavored dental floss to slice. A sharp, thin knife is your best friend here. You can also use unflavored dental floss by looping it under the log and crossing it over the top to get clean, even slices without squishing the rolls.
Keep that 1-inch border. Leaving a border around the edges of the dough before you add your fillings means the sauce stays inside the roll where it belongs and doesn't seep out everywhere.
Seam side down always. When you transfer your rolled log to the cutting board, make sure the seam is facing down so it doesn't unravel while you slice.
Do not skip the two-stage cheese situation. Adding the final layer of mozzarella and Parmesan in the last 2 minutes of baking gives you that perfectly melted, bubbly cheese crown on top, and that is everything

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