Chicken Garlic Scape Pesto Pizza

This chicken garlic scape pesto pizza is one of the best homemade pizzas we’ve made in years. Tender chicken, fresh spinach, and mild garlic scape pesto make every bite packed with flavor.

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Garlic scape pesto gives this pizza plenty of garlic flavor without the sharp bite of raw garlic. The pesto is mellow, fresh, and pairs perfectly with chicken and spinach.

Inspired by the classic chicken Florentine pizza from our favorite local pizzeria, this version swaps tradition

Years ago, our favorite pizza from a local pizzeria was chicken florentine. So, we made this chicken pizza in that tradition. The chicken is so tender, and the spinach makes it feel like health food, lol.

We grilled this pizza for a change of pace (and so we didn’t have to turn the oven on because it was hot!) 🙂

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What you need

• Pizza Dough: Use store-bought or homemade pizza dough.
• Chicken: Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts, leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken.
• Pesto: Use garlic scape pesto if you can get hold of some scapes. It lasts for months in the fridge and freezes beautifully. You can substitute any other pesto you can find, just add some minced or roasted garlic to the top of the pizza.
• Fresh Spinach: If you have baby spinach from your garden, even better.
• Oil: A good quality olive oil makes all the difference in the world.
• Cheese: Parmesan and mozzarella cheese. Use fresh parmesan for the best flavor.

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What are Garlic Scapes and Where Can You Buy Them?

Garlic scapes are the stem and flower buds of hardneck-type garlic. They are curly, weird-looking green stems. If you grow garlic, you know you have to cut them off just after they appear, so the bulb will be bigger when you harvest it.

They are becoming more readily available at farm stands and farmer’s markets, so you should be able to find some late in the spring or early summer, depending on where you live.

Garlic is an easy plant to grow, so if you have a little room in the garden, plant some this fall.

How to Make Chicken Florentine Pizza

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1. Cut the chicken into bite-sized cubes.
2. Add olive oil to a skillet and heat. Brown the chicken on medium-high heat until lightly browned.
3. Set aside. Turn the heat down under the skillet. Add a splash more of olive oil, if necessary. Sauté the spinach just until wilted.
4. Roll out the pizza dough into shape with a rolling pin and stretch it into a circle.
5. If you are grilling the pizza, get the grill very hot, 500°F. While that is heating, bring all of the ingredients out to the grill. You will build the pizza on the hot grill.
6. Place dough on a rack, pizza stone, or grilling pad. Close lid and cook for 3-4 minutes until firm and browned, but not burned. Be careful and check often because it will burn easily.
7. Carefully flip the dough. Quickly top the pizza with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the pesto. Then add chicken, spinach, and finally the cheeses. 
8. Close the lid and grill for another 3 or 4 minutes until the bottom of the crust is lightly browned.
9. Remove the pizza from the grill and let it rest for five minutes before slicing.

If you are cooking it in the oven, heat it to the highest setting it will go, 450° or 500°F. Place the constructed pizza on a pizza stone or cookie sheet. Bake about 15 minutes until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted.

Grilling pizza involves grilling one side for 3 minutes or so and then flipping the crust over. Then, you can add your toppings. It’s well worth learning the technique because the pizza has a nice smoky flavor from the grill.

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This pizza is soooo good! I hope you enjoyed today’s recipe for Chicken Florentine Pizza. Let us know what your favorite pizza is.

How to Store Leftovers

Store leftovers wrapped in aluminum foil, after cooling to room temperature, in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Freeze leftover slices packaged in two layers of aluminum foil for a month or so.

To reheat, reheat slices in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes until hot. You can also reheat slices in the air fryer on 350°F for about 5 minutes.

More Delicious Pizzas

• Chicken Florentine Pizza
• Lobster Pizza
• Thin Crust Grilled Chicken Pizza
• Tuna Pizza
• Deep Dish Breakfast Pizza

More Garlic Scapes Recipes

• Garlic Scape Relish
• Pickled Garlic Scapes
• Garlic Scape Pesto
• How to Store Garlic Scapes
• Garlic Scape Butter
• Garlic Scape Vinaigrette
• Garlic Scape Potato Soup
• Garlic Scape Powder
• Garlic Scape Chicken Tenders

Helpful Tools

• Pizza Stone
• Pizza Peel
• Cutter for pizzas
• Rolling Pin

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Chicken Florentine Pizza

This Chicken Florentine Pizza is to die for!! You will NOT be disappointed!

See Step by Step Photos Above!Most of our recipes have step by step photos and videos! Also helpful tips so that you can make it perfectly the first time and every time! Scroll up to see them!

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Course: Condiment, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 400kcal

Author: Beth Neels

Cost: $3

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Ingredients

For Garlic Scape Pesto

• ▢ 2 cups garlic scapes, sliced
• ▢ 1/2 Cup blanched, slivered almonds
• ▢ 1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese
• ▢ 2 Tablespoon fresh basil
• ▢ 3 Tablespoon fresh parsley
• ▢ 1/2 Cup Olive Oil

For Pizza

• ▢ 1 prepared pizza dough. Homemade or store bought Recipe link below
• ▢ 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• ▢ 12 ounce package baby spinach
• ▢ 1-2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• ▢ 1 Cup mozzarella cheese
• ▢ ¼ Cup Freshly grated parmesan cheese

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions

For Pesto

• Place all ingredients in food processor bowl, except the olive oil. Process until very fine. Drizzle in olive oil, with blade moving, until a smooth paste forms. You can add more oil, if you would like the pesto thinner.
  2 cups garlic scapes, sliced, 1/2 Cup blanched, slivered almonds, 1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese, 2 Tablespoon fresh basil, 3 Tablespoon fresh parsley, 1/2 Cup Olive Oil

For Pizza

• Cut the chicken into small, bite-sized cubes. Brown them in olive oil over medium-high heat on all sides until lightly browned. 
  2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 1-2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• Remove the chicken to a plate. Set aside. Sauté the spinach in the same pan just until wilted.
  12 ounce package baby spinach
• Roll out the pizza dough to desired thickness.
  1 prepared pizza dough. Homemade or store bought
• If grilling, heat the grill to very hot. 500°F. Place the rolled-out dough on a rack, pizza stone, or grilling pad. Close the lid and cook for 3-4 minutes until firm and browned but not burned. Be careful and check often because it will burn easily.
• Carefully flip the dough. Quickly top the pizza with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the pesto. Then add chicken, spinach, and finally the cheeses. 
  1 Cup mozzarella cheese, ¼ Cup Freshly grated parmesan cheese
• Close the lid and grill for another 3 or 4 minutes until the bottom of the crust is lightly browned.
• Remove the pizza from the grill and let it rest for five minutes before slicing.
• If cooking in oven, heat the oven to the highest setting it will go, 450³ or 500°F. Place constructed Pizza on pizza stone or cookie sheet. Bake about 15 minutes until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted.

grill-gas/ smoker

Pizza Peel

Pizza Cutter

Pizza Stone

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Notes

Homemade Pizza Dough

If you have extra large breasts, you will only need one. 

NOTE: The pesto recipe will make more than is needed for the pizza. Store the rest in a jar in the refrigerator for about a month, or freeze it for longer storage. 

Pizza crust can be cooked directly on the grill, on a pizza stone, or a grill mat.

Leftovers last 3-4 days.

Do not freeze.

Nutrition

Calories: 400kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 649mg | Potassium: 518mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 4305IU | Vitamin C: 29.1mg | Calcium: 294mg | Iron: 4mg

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Originally published August 18,2017. Updated August 3, 2026.