Cast Iron Shrimp Pesto Pizza Is the Perfect Summer Recipe

Cast iron is king as far as cooking appliances go. You can toss it in the oven. Pop it over a campfire. Let it do its thing on the stovetop. It sears steaks to perfection, yields bubbling cobblers, and caramelizes vegetables with ease. You know what else you can add to that list? It makes a killer pizza. I’m hooked on this shrimp-pesto number from Lodge Cast Iron. But first, a little more about their latest offering of skillets.

I recently got my hands on the Blacklock Skillet. Available in 7, 10.25, 12, and 14.5″, these skillets sport a lighter-than-usual construction, thanks to slightly thinner walls. The assist handle also allows for greater ease of use and control (no more wrist-breaking, one-handed schleps). The Blacklock line is triple seasoned to be naturally nonstick, which I put to the test with an ambitious baking project: tarte Tatin.

To make the French pastry, you caramelize apples in sugar and butter, top ’em with puff pastry, then bake in the oven. As you’d imagine, the bottom gets sticky and tacky from the caramel, some bits hardening like the sugar coating on a candy apple. But to my surprise—a little coercion from a spatula and a strong flip—the tarte Tatin released from its cozy, steel nest with relative ease. (I used the 12″ skillet.)

Next I turned my attention to savory recipes. Paella and jambalaya can be a bit of a production, but pizza—that’s as fun to make as it is to eat. I swapped the usual red sauce and pepperoni for basil pesto and plump shrimp. It’s lighter and brighter for the summer season, not to mention begging to be made again and again. Here’s how to cook one yourself from the comfort of home—no brick oven required. (Use the 14.5″ skillet—or make smaller pies with the 12″.)

Recipe and photos courtesy of Lodge Cast Iron

How to Make Cast Iron Shrimp Pesto Pizza