An incredibly simple but tasty pizza that showcases the deep smoky flavor of scamorza cheese (smoked mozzarella) with a pesto base and honey glazed cherry tomato topping. A deliciously complex vegetarian pizza full of flavor!

If you’re looking for a vegetarian pizza with some depth and complexity, adding smoky cheese is always a route to success!

In this case, smoky cheese + honey glazed cherry tomatoes with rosemary + pesto = actual guaranteed success.

Let’s discuss.

What is scamorza? Is it the same as smoked mozzarella?

Scamorza is a smoked Italian cheese which is very similar to mozzarella. Technically it’s not mozzarella, but outside of Italy where it is less well known you will see it referred to as “smoked mozzarella” too.

Texture wise, it is different. It’s drier and firmer than fresh mozzarella, but it’s softer and milkier than “cooking mozzarella”.

If you’re not in Italy, you may need to seek this out in a bigger supermarket, Italian deli or a cheese shop. In the UK I can buy it from Tesco (Tesco Finest range) or Ocado (Natoora brand). If you find something called “smoked mozzarella” and not “scamorza”, go for it. It will be close enough to swap in for this recipe.

Ingredient Notes

  • Pizza dough: the recipe doesn’t include a pizza base, you can use whatever you prefer. If you’re looking for a recipe, my homemade buttermilk pizza dough is great! But for this one I tend to use a ready made base. There are some decent options out there in the supermarkets these days so I save myself a job. Today I used a ready-rolled one, hence the rectangular pizza pictured.
  • Scamorza: Can be replaced with regular mozzarella if needed. Still a tasty pesto pizza!
  • Feta: I’m liking feta on this pizza, but it doesn’t need to be the really good feta, it can just be any crumbly white cheese to be honest. You don’t use the whole block, keep scrolling for some ideas on how to use the leftovers.
  • Cherry tomatoes: fresh summer tomatoes are always king around here but this is one of those recipes where you can get away with the kind of flavorless ones stocking the shelves in winter. We caramelize them in honey and garlic, it makes up for a lot.
  • Pesto: I use a jarred basil pesto here, homemade is always a delight though.
  • Rosemary: an optional addition to the tomatoes, I like it but it’s not for everyone, so if you don’t want to try it you can confidently leave it out.

How to use the leftover feta cheese

This pizza leaves you with most of your block of feta left and these recipes will help you use it up.

How to make your scamorza pizza : In pictures

The printable recipe card is coming your way, but here’s a visual run through:

Prepping the Tomatoes:

The tomatoes are coated with an garlicky olive oil, honey and balsamic glaze, then pan fried until reduced and sticky.

They will caramelize even more by baking in the oven on top of the pizza.

Assembling the pizza:

Perfect Side Dishes:

I love to serve this pizza with a tasty salad to make a complete meal. Some perfect matches would be…

Other Recipes to Note:

Scamorza Pizza with Pesto & Cherry Tomatoes

An incredibly simple but tasty pizza that showcases the deep smoky flavor of scamorza cheese (smoked mozzarella) with a pesto base and honey glazed cherry tomato topping. A deliciously complex vegetarian pizza full of flavor!
5 from 1 rating

Ingredients

  • 1 medium pizza base
  • 3 Tbsp basil pesto
  • 200 g (7 oz) scamorza cheese, sliced
  • 4 Tbsp crumbled feta cheese
  • 250 g (9 oz) cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp honey
  • 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • ¼ tsp chopped rosemary, optional
  • 1 handful basil leaves, for topping, optional

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 200C / 390F.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, honey, garlic, rosemary and balsamic vinegar. Combine them with the cherry tomatoes, stir to ensure the tomatoes are coated.
    250 g cherry tomatoes, 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1 Tbsp honey, 2 tsp balsamic vinegar, 2 cloves garlic, 1/4 tsp chopped rosemary
  • Heat a frying pan on a low to medium heat and pour the tomatoes in, using a spatula to ensure all of the marinade makes it's way into the pan too. Saute gently, until the tomatoes are burst and the sauce is thick and sticky. How long this takes can vary depending on the heat of your pan, generally 5 to 10 minutes.
  • Remove from the heat and set aside.
  • Spread most of the pesto across the pizza base. Arrange the sliced scamorza cheese on top, and sprinkle with half of the feta.
    1 medium pizza base, 3 Tbsp basil pesto, 200 g scamorza cheese, 4 Tbsp crumbled feta cheese
  • Spoon the cherry tomatoes onto the pizza too, generally filling the gaps between the scamorza slices but some could go on top of the scamorza slices too. If there's a little extra glaze in the pan, make sure to drizzle that over the pizza as well.
  • Add the rest of the feta, and dot the rest of the pesto around on the pizza.
    4 Tbsp crumbled feta cheese
  • Place the pizza in the oven for 12-15 minutes, until the base is cooked and the scamorza is melted and browned. Add basil leaves for topping and serve immediately.
    1 handful basil leaves, for topping
Calories: 602kcal, Carbohydrates: 58g, Protein: 24g, Fat: 31g, Saturated Fat: 13g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Cholesterol: 56mg, Sodium: 1146mg, Potassium: 196mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 942IU, Vitamin C: 15mg, Calcium: 455mg, Iron: 4mg