Focaccia Pizza with Grilled Italian Sausage and Arugula Pesto

Pesto:
16 oz. fresh arugula leaves
1 cup olive oil
3 oz. toasted sliced almonds
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup (4 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp coarse salt
1 lemon, juiced

Pizza:
4 pieces (4-inch square or wedge) herbed focaccia bread
1 cup (4 oz.) crumbled goat cheese
1 lb. Italian sausage, removed from casings and crumbled
1 cup sliced pitted Kalamata olives
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/4 cup aged balsamic vinegar*

Heat oven to 400°F. To make pesto, place arugula, olive oil, almonds, parmesan cheese, salt and lemon juice into blender; process until puréed. Set pesto aside. Brown sausage in skillet over medium-high heat until no longer pink; drain well. To assemble pizzas, spread a generous layer of pesto on each piece of focaccia. Top evenly with goat cheese, sausage and olives. Place on baking sheet and bake about 10 minutes or until golden brown. Garnish each pizza with cherry tomatoes and chopped basil. Drizzle balsamic vinegar.
*Chef Kenny Gilbert recommends 8-year-old balsamic, available from Sid Wainer.
Yields 4 portions.

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Recipe by Chef Kenny J. Gilbert