What could possibly be better treatment for summer veggies than grilling them? And certainly smothering them in cheese and placing atop charred, chewy dough couldn’t hurt the situation.
This was my first foray into grilled pizza – and I am hooked! I think I’ll still be doing it in January, but the obvious benefit of making it this way right now is that you don’t have to turn on the oven.
My bread maker made my crust for me, using this recipe – I just threw in the flour-water-salt-oil-yeast and let it stir, knead and rise that mess into a plump ball of glorious, stretchy dough. I highly recommend this hands-off method if you’ve got a bread maker. Why not? Just hit the “dough” setting. Boom, done.
I used grilled zucchini, but you could really use whatever toppings you fancy. I’m going to use some gorgeous heirloom tomatoes next time.
The key for successful grilled pizza (because you’re working with very high heat and you need to move quickly!) is mise-en-place – having all your ingredients prepped, chopped and at arm’s length from the grill.
A couple more tips: use a rimless cookie sheet or a cutting board to transfer the rolled-out dough from your counter to the grill, and don’t skimp on the “finishing” salt – a good sprinkle of sea salt (I prefer Maldon for it’s lovely crunchy texture) is needed on a vegetarian pizza.
Fresh and delicious – how summer cooking should be.
What would you put on your grilled pizza?
Grilled Zucchini Pizza
Ingredients
- 2 lbs pizza dough homemade or 2 store-bought balls
Grilled zucchini
- 3 medium zucchini sliced lengthwise into 1/4-inch thick slices
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper
To assemble
- 4 tbsp olive oil plus more for the grill grates
- 1 ball fresh mozzarella or burrata sliced into 1/4-inch slices
- 1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- basil leaves a handful, torn
- coarse salt preferably Maldon
Instructions
- If using homemade dough, divide it into two equal pieces, shape into balls, and let rest half an hour. For homemade or store-bought dough, roll into two ovals as thin as you can, in a size that will fit on your grill.
- Preheat the grill to medium-high. Toss the zucchini with 2 tbsp olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill about 6 minutes, turning once, until tender but still firm with good grill marks. Set aside near the grill.
- Set the olive oil and cheeses within reach of the grill. Place the first pizza crust on the grill and close the lid. Cook about 5 minutes, until bubbles appear on the surface and the underside has a few grill marks. Flip, using tongs and a cookie sheet or cutting board to help if needed.
- Brush the grill-marked side (now facing up) with 2 tbsp olive oil, then top with half the mozzarella, Parmesan and zucchini. Close the lid and cook another 5–7 minutes, until the cheese is nicely melted (it won't get golden like in an oven).
- Use tongs to slide the pizza back onto the cookie sheet or cutting board, then sprinkle with basil and coarse salt. Repeat with the second pizza.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
