I love pizza—enough to eat it multiple times a week or multiple days in a row—and I’m not at all tied down to the conventional idea of pizza. I’ll try weird flavor combinations (like pea pesto!), enjoy it in muffins, or spend an hour making pizza monkey bread. When I came across a recipe for these rolls in a recent Better Homes & Gardens issue, I knew this was the newest unconventional way for me to give pizza a go!
Aside from being spectacularly attractive (looking like a savory cinnamon roll!), they tasted even better than they looked. Don’t miss out on making these now—when tomatoes and basil are still in abundance and their fresh flavors can’t be beat! I think I overfilled my rolls slightly, using more tomatoes than the recipe called for, but the tomatoes threatening to pop out only gave them a rustic, albeit slightly messy, look. These rolls shine in their simplicity—no additional ingredients needed! That being said, I can’t wait to try a few other versions of these! Next up is definitely one with pesto!
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Tomato Bacon Basil Pizza Rolls
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
Description
They look like a cinnamon roll but taste like pizza.
Ingredients
- 1 batch fresh pizza dough
- 1 large clove garlic
- approximately 1 tsp salt
- 3 cups (720 ml) cherry tomatoes, halved and/or quartered
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) finely shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp finely shredded lemon peel
- 1/2 tsp finely ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) crumbled, cooked bacon
- 1 cup (240 ml) basil leaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F. In a small bowl, mash together the garlic and a large pinch of salt. Toss with tomatoes, Parmesan, 1/4 cup olive oil, lemon peel, pepper, and 1/2 tsp salt.
- Roll out pizza dough on a floured surface to a 22 x 14-inch rectangle. Sprinkle bacon and basil over the dough. Spread tomatoes over the surface, leaving about 1 to 2 inches on each border. Carefully roll dough from one long side to the other. Using a serrated knife, cut 1-1 1/2 inch pieces off (like a cinnamon roll).
- Carefully place rolls, cut side up, on a baking sheet 2 inches apart. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until crusts are golden. Sprinkle with additional fresh basil before serving.
Notes
- adapted from Better Homes & Gardens August 2012
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
Find it online: https://honestcooking.com/tomato-bacon-basil-pizza-rolls-recipe/
Tell me, what would you stuff your rolls with? 
If You Liked This Recipe, You’ll Love These
- Strawberry Balsamic Pizza with Chicken and Bacon
- Pappa al Pomodoro – Rustic Tuscan Tomato and Bread Soup
- Pizza al Taglio: How to Make Roman Style Pan Pizza
- Fugazzeta – Argentinian Stuffed Cheesy Pizza
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you roll and slice the pizza rolls without the filling spilling out?
After rolling the dough on a floured surface to a 22×14-inch rectangle and spreading the tomato-Parmesan-bacon-basil filling, leave 1–2 inches clear at each border before rolling from one long side to the other. Use a serrated knife to cut 1 to 1½-inch pieces — the serrated edge saws through the soft dough cleanly without compressing and pushing the filling out the sides.
Why does the recipe mash the garlic with salt before tossing it with the tomatoes?
Mashing 1 large clove of garlic with a large pinch of salt in a small bowl creates a coarse paste that distributes garlic flavor evenly through the 3 cups (720 ml) of halved cherry tomatoes, rather than leaving sharp chunks. The salt draws out the garlic’s juices and mellows its raw sharpness.
Can I use store-bought pizza dough instead of making it fresh?
The recipe calls for 1 batch of fresh pizza dough but does not include a recipe for it. Store-bought refrigerated pizza dough works as a direct substitute; roll it to the same 22×14-inch dimensions on a floured surface before adding the filling.
