The Tomato Head signature pizza on Market Square since 1990, with sun-dried tomato pesto, fresh mozzarella, basil and a thin Knoxville-style sourdough crust.

Mahasti Vafaie opened The Tomato Head on Market Square in 1990 and named the signature pie after herself, the pizza topped with house pesto, feta, sun-dried tomatoes and Kalamata olives. The Persian-American counter has run pizza, sandwiches and salads on Market Square ever since, making it downtown Knoxville's longest-running independent restaurant and a Market Square Saturday-morning landmark for two generations of regulars.

Where to eat The Mahasti Pizza in Knoxville

2 editor picks for The Mahasti Pizza in Knoxville, ranked by editorial score. All Knoxville signature dishes · The Mahasti Pizza across every city.

  • The Tomato Head

    Order The Mahasti pizza with the sun-dried tomato pesto, or the veggie sandwich at lunch.

    The Tomato Head on Market Square, Mahasti Vafaie's Persian-American pizza and sandwich counter since 1990, is downtown Knoxville's longest-running.

    DetailsDirections

  • The Tomato Head Bearden

    Order Same Mahasti pizza pesto build that runs at Market Square.

    The Tomato Head Bearden on Kingston Pike at Gallery Shopping Center, Mahasti Vafaie's West Knoxville arm of the Market Square original, runs the same pizza.

    DetailsDirections

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Make it at home

Serves 22 hrIntermediate

Ingredients

  • 1 ball pizza dough, 12 oz
  • 1/3 cup sun-dried tomato pesto
  • 8 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan
  • Handful of fresh basil leaves
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Red pepper flakes to taste
  • Coarse sea salt

Method

  1. Bring the dough to room temperature, about 1 hour. Heat the oven to 500 F with a pizza stone on the bottom rack.
  2. Stretch the dough on a floured pizza peel to a 12-inch round about 1/4 inch thick.
  3. Spread the sun-dried tomato pesto across the dough leaving a 1-inch border.
  4. Arrange fresh mozzarella slices over the pesto. Scatter parmesan over the top.
  5. Slide onto the hot stone and bake 8 to 10 minutes until the crust is golden and the cheese bubbles.
  6. Pull the pizza, scatter fresh basil leaves, drizzle olive oil, season with sea salt and red pepper flakes.

Editor tip. Sun-dried tomato pesto is the signature; make it with sun-dried tomatoes in oil, garlic, parmesan and olive oil if you can't find it premade.

Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy.