The veggie pizza recipe is one of my all time favorites. I kind of feel like I'm being healthy when I eat it because I'm packing the pie so heavily with vegetables (kidding myself). The preparation can be time consuming, but the results are always amazing. See below directions to create this pesto based pizza, adapted from Pizza on the Grill.
Ingredients:
1/2 a ball of pre-made dough (see dough recipe for details)
Basil pesto
Goat cheese (crumbled is easier)
One yellow or red onion
Grape or cherry tomatoes (heirloom mix is the best!)
1 small eggplant
1 yellow bell pepper
Veggie preparation:
*You can either put the veggies onto the grill and fire them up before putting the dough on the grill, OR you can roast them in the oven and on the stove. Totally up to you! I will give grilling directions below, as kitchen directions are pretty self explanatory.
*Preheat the grill on medium-high if you are planning on grilling the veggies.
STEP 1:
Quarter the onion. Place each piece gently on the grill, and do your best not to let them drop between the cracks. Close the oven and leave them on there until they are charred to your liking. Depending on the size of your grill, you can do them at the same time as the peppers and eggplant.
If your grill is small, follow these same directions separately with the yellow pepper and eggplant.
STEP 2:
Half the tomatoes, and put them onto a grill safe pan. Close the grill and leave them there until they have broken down and are slightly caramelized.
STEP 3:
Put the pesto and goat cheese onto a tray with all of the veggies, and transport out to the grill with knives and spoons for the decorating phase.
Pizza Directions:
STEP 1:
Cover a dry and clean surface in a handful of dried grits or cornmeal. Roll the ball of dough in the grits or cornmeal until it is covered. This will add texture and will make the pizza nice and slippery for pulling on and off the grill.
STEP 2:
Stretch the dough out into a circle, rectangle, oval...whatever you can manage--be flexible because it is often very elastic and springy, and can be challenging to stretch. The pizza will look "rustic" if your shape is weird, so have no fears! Aim for 1/2 an inch thick, or even thinner if possible.
STEP 3:
For the actual grilling steps, it is it is super helpful to have more than one person on the job. Depending on your grill setup, you may need to get creative with lighting as it is very important for you to be able to see clearly for this project. If you are like me, without a light by the grill, you may be lucky enough to find a guy with a headlamp handy. See below.
Use a cutting board to transport the pizza dough over to the grill. Carefully lift the dough using two hands, and stretch it across the middle of the grill. ( I usually have a helper hold onto the cutting board while I do this). Set the cutting board to the side, because you will use it again shortly.
It's okay if the pizza is slightly folded on the grill. That too will look "rustic," trust me. Close the lid!
STEP 4:
Keep the pizza on this side for about 8-10 minutes. Check periodically to make sure that it isn't over cooking, by gently lifting up the corner of the pizza and peeking under. When the pizza has lovely black grill lines, take that bad boy off, and put it on the cutting board.
STEP 5:
Before decorating your pizza, turn the middle of the grill off, so that the pizza will get indirect heat when returned with toppings. Leave the two side burners on.
STEP 6:
Decorate your pizza! Start by spreading the pesto generously on top of the grill marks. Scatter the veggies on top, and layer them with crumbled goat cheese. Be generous with your toppings--we all know that the more cheese and veggies, the better!
STEP 7:
Gently slide the pizza back onto the middle of the grill, and close until the toppings are toasted and melted to your liking.
STEP 8:
Fill your hungry belly!
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