Grilled Veggie Pizza
I love pizza, especially when it is grilled and healthy! This recipe includes the pizza dough; if you choose to save some time, you can buy pizza crust. Here is another fun idea, get individual pizza crusts for everyone in your family and have them make their pizza.
Ingredients
Pizza Crust:
- 1/2 teaspoon Active Dry Yeast
- 3/4 cup Warm Water
- 2 cups All-purpose Flour
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Pesto Recipe:
- 3/4 cups Fresh Basil Leaves
- 1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 2 Tablespoons Pine Nuts
- 2 cloves Garlic, Peeled
- Salt And Pepper to taste
- 1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
TOPPINGS:
- 2 whole Zucchini, Cut In Diagonal Slices
- 2 entire Summer Squash, Cut In Diagonal Slices
- Olive Oil For Brushing
- 1 whole Yellow Bell Pepper
- 1 whole Red Bell Pepper
- 12 ounces weight Fresh Mozzarella, Sliced
- 4 ounces, weight Goat Cheese
- Extra Basil Leaves, For Garnish
- Grated Or Shaved Parmesan Cheese, For Sprinkling
Instructions
To make the crust: Sprinkle yeast over 3/4 cup warm (not lukewarm) water. Let’s stand for a few minutes.
In a mixer, combine flour and salt. With the mixer running on low speed (with paddle attachment), drizzle in olive oil until combined with flour. Next, pour in the yeast/water mixture and mix until just combined, and the dough comes together in a sticky mass.
Coat a separate mixing bowl with a drizzle of olive oil, and form the dough into a ball. Toss to coat dough in olive oil, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and set it aside for 1 to 2 hours, or store in the fridge until you need it.
To make the pesto: Add basil leaves, 1/2 cup Parmesan, pine nuts, and salt and pepper to a food processor or blender. Turn the machine on, then drizzle in olive oil while it mixes. Continue blending until combined, adding additional olive oil if needed. Set aside.
To make the toppings: Brush zucchini and summer squash slices with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill over medium heat until vegetables are tender and have excellent grill marks. Set aside.
Place whole peppers on the grill and allow to blacken. Remove from grill and immediately place in a large Ziploc bag. Allow to sit for 20 minutes, remove peppers from the pack and peel off blackened skin. Deseed peppers, then slice into strips. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Arrange a rack toward the bottom of the range.
To assemble the pizza: Roll out pizza dough on a floured surface; get it as thin as possible. spread a generous layer of pesto all over the surface of the crust. (You might have a little leftover; if you do, store it in the fridge.)
Lay slices of mozzarella all over the pesto. Arrange grilled zucchini, squash, and peppers in a pretty pattern on top of the mozzarella. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until crust is golden brown and cheese is a bubble (watch to ensure the cheese doesn’t get too brown.)
Remove from the oven and crumble goat cheese all over the top of the pizza. Lay basil leaves on top, sprinkle with Parmesan, and serve immediately.
