CIABATTA PIZZA WITH GORGONZOLA, WALNUT PESTO, AND PEARS

Ciabatta Pizza with Gorgonzola, Walnut Pesto, and Pears image

Yield Makes 12 appetizer or 6 main-course servings

Number Of Ingredients 10

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2 cups walnuts
1 cup olive oil
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1 loaf ciabatta bread (about 1 1/3 pounds), halved horizontally
10 ounces thinly sliced Havarti cheese
6 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut crosswise into strips
2 pears, halved, cored, thinly sliced
2/3 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
2 cups arugula

Steps:

Preheat oven to 450°F. Toast nuts on baking sheet until brown, about 6 minutes. Maintain oven temperature. Transfer hot nuts to processor. Add oil, honey, and thyme; blend until nuts are finely chopped. Season pesto to taste with salt and pepper.
Place bread halves, cut side up, on baking sheet. Spread pesto over bread, about 1 cup per side. Top with Havarti. Bake until bubbly and golden, about 12 minutes. Top with prosciutto, then pears and Gorgonzola. Tuck in arugula. Sprinkle with pepper.