Sarasota's Simple Pesto Shrimp Calzones

Total Time: 35 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

• 2 (8 ounce) cans pillsbury pizza dough (i like to have a little leftover and make my calzones a bit bigger. besides, any leftover pizza doug)
• 1 lb shrimp, large, tails off and rough chopped
• 1 small onion, fine diced
• 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup roasted red pepper, chopped (i just used a jar)
• 1 (3 ounce) jar basil pesto (or any store bought brand and type)
• 1 cup fontina cheese, shredded (you could use all mozzarella, but i like the mix of fontina with mozzarella)
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 4 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated fine
• 1 tablespoon butter (to saute the shrimp, onion and garlic)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (to brush the pizza crust)
• salt
• pepper
• 2 cups marinara sauce (your favorite brand)

Recipe

• 1 shrimp -- in a medium size saute pan, add the butter and bring to medium heat. add in the onion and garlic and cook 2-3 minutes until tender but not soft. note: at this point if you decide to add any other ingredients, such as peppers, mushrooms or olives, you can add them too. saute 2-3 minutes until tender. then add in the shrimp (seasoned with salt and pepper) and cook 1-2 minutes, as they will continue to cook in the calzone - i actually under cook the shrimp so they don't get tough. immediately remove from the heat and transfer to a plate to cool.
• 2 filling -- once the shrimp have cooled a couple of minutes, add to a medium size bowl along with the pesto, fontina, and mozzarella and lightly toss to combine.
• 3 pizza dough -- cut the dough into 4 equal pieces and then roll into a 8-9" circles. i like to bake mine on either a pizza stone, or either a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and sprayed with a non-stick spray. makes for an easy clean up.
• 4 lay your 4 pizza circles on the baking sheet or whatever you choose to use, and then add the shrimp filling on the crust, a little to the right or left of center. then fold over the crust to make a half moon and to cover all the filling.
• 5 wet the edge of the pizza crust with a little water. i just use my finger and then press the top and bottom together. now, you can use your fork or you can use your finger to press the edges together. i just squeeze them and make a little "pie crust" like technique. it doesn't have to be fancy. just as long as the top and bottom is pressed together and sealed well.
• 6 brush the calzones with olive oil and sprinkle the parmesan cheese over the top. make 3-4 thin cuts with a knife in the calzone so the steam can escape and the calzone can puff up and get golden brown.
• 7 bake -- oven, middle shelf to 400 degrees. bake for 25-35 minutes until golden brown. make sure to let them cool about 5 minutes before serving.
• 8 marinara -- simply heat some marinara in the microwave or stove top and serve with the calzones.
• 9 serve -- a nice crisp salad is all you need. enjoy!