Grilled Citrus Pistachio Pesto Pizza with Shrimp and Fennel

The guests at your elegant pizza party will be thrilled when you open the grill to a pizza with citrus pesto, marinated shrimp, and melty mozzarella cheese. The secret ingredient here is the base of homemade pesto that’s made with pistachio, orange, and lemon and complements the shrimp beautifully. A coastal inspired pizza for those hot summer nights.

There’s something especially fun about making pizza on the grill in the summertime. Guests never quite expect the grill lid to open and reveal bubbling cheese and crisp pizza crust instead of burgers or hot dogs. But once the pizzas come off the grill — smoky, cheesy, and served piping hot — everyone immediately reaches for a slice.

Whenever I put together an elegant pizza party menu, I like one of the pizzas to feel deeply seasonal. For summer, I found myself gravitating toward bright citrus flavors and seafood. It has a relaxed coastal feel while still being approachable enough for an easy backyard dinner.

This also felt like the perfect excuse to bring back my Citrus Pistachio Pesto, which has become a favorite here on the blog. Instead of traditional pizza sauce, I use the pesto as the base, giving the pizza a fresh, bright flavor with a little richness from the pistachios. Honestly, it’s the kind of pesto you could eat straight with a spoon.

The pizza dough gets grilled first until lightly charred, then flipped before being topped with the pesto, shaved fennel, mozzarella, and dollops of ricotta. Once the cheese is melted and bubbling, the pizza gets finished with grilled shrimp, fresh basil, and a sprinkle of pistachios for crunch.

The result is smoky, creamy, bright, and incredibly summery.

For my Romantic Pizza Party menu, I serve this pizza alongside a cozy Potato, Leek, and Gruyère Pizza and a playful Strawberry Churro Pizza for dessert. The shrimp pizza brings a fresh, savory balance to the table and gives the menu a lighter coastal feel.

While it’s beautiful for entertaining, this is also the kind of pizza that works perfectly for a simple summer dinner at home with a big green salad and a glass of chilled white wine.

It’s relaxed, a little elegant, and exactly the kind of meal that makes backyard cooking feel special.

Hosting Notes

• This pizza really should be made just before guests arrive for it to be especially fresh. But definitely make the pesto in advance so that it’s ready to go.
• For any leftover pesto, toss with pasta or try it in my Turkey, Havarti, and Citrus Pistachio Pesto Paninis.
• This pizza can be made on the grill or in the oven. If you’re making it in the oven, cook the shrimp and fennel on the stove top first. Then assemble and bake at 475ºF for 12-15 minutes.
• A little pesto drizzle on top of this pizza is delicious.
• My husband prefers the shrimp on this pizza sliced. It’s prettier for presentation to leave the shrimp whole, but is a bit easier to eat if you dice them after you cook. Beauty or function, your choice.

A Coastal Summer Dinner

This citrus pistachio pesto pizza with shrimp embodies a warm coastal breeze in the summer. I designed it as part my elegant pizza party menu, which also features a potato gratin-inspired pizza and a strawberry churro pizza. It’s an unexpected pizza party that’s simple and totally elegant.

If you’d like to feature the shrimp pizza on its own, it would make a lovely main course to serve for a small group. Add in my crispy chickpea salad to make it a full meal. Or start with my market gimlet, which is fresh and seasonal with notes of cucumber and basil. Serve my lemon raspberry olive oil cake or my blueberry lemon crumble for dessert, and you have a fresh, beautiful summer dinner party menu.