1. If you use a pre-made, medium-sized pizza crust, follow the package directions for baking time and load your toppings from there.
2. If you use fresh pizza dough as your base, preheat your oven to 475°F and make sure you have enough free counter space to spread some flour out on your cooking surface.
3. Plop your dough ball in the flour and knead it a bit with your hands as you gently begin to stretch it out. Using the heel of your hands as well as your fingertips, gently begin to nudge and stretch the dough to the desired thickness.
4. Be sure to rotate the dough so you’re stretching it out evenly. If the dough is shrinking back, stop and let it rest for a few minutes before resuming.
5. When you get your dough to ½ inch thick, pick it up and stretch it out by holding onto the edges with both hands and slowly rotating it in a full circle until it’s about ¼ to ⅛ inch thick, depending if you like your crust thinner or thicker. (Don’t worry if your dough is not in a perfect circle.)
6. Lay your crust on a lightly oiled rimmed baking sheet and brush the top of the crust with 1 tbsp of olive oil.
7. In a small bowl, mix the pesto sauce with the other 1 tbsp of olive oil and the garlic. Spread the mixture over the oiled crust and add layers of meatball halves, artichoke hearts, and squash slices, in any order you wish. Break apart the cheese by hand and spread it evenly around the pizza.
8. Bake in the oven until the outer crust is browned, about 10-15 minutes. While your pizza is baking, toss the arugula in a bowl with lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.
9. When the pizza is ready, remove from oven and let it cool for a few minutes, then top with arugula and serve!
