Grilled Garden Vegetable Pizza

Name: Grilled Garden Vegetable Pizza
Prep time: P0Y0M0DT0H20M0.000S
Cook time: P0Y0M0DT0H20M0.000S
Total time: P0Y0M0DT0H40M0.000S
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds; 1 small bunch cilantro (about 2 cups); Zest and juice of half a lemon; 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil; Splash of water, as needed; Salt and ground black pepper; 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided; 1 red bell pepper, sliced into matchsticks; 1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced; 1 medium zucchini, halved and thinly sliced; 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated; Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, plus more for garnish; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; Salt and ground black pepper; 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, as needed for dusting; 1 pound whole-wheat pizza dough; 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Getting reviews...

I see no reason for hot, muggy summer nights to put a damper on my delicious pizza consumption time. Sure turning on the oven to the highest setting it'll withstand to produce that crispy, crispy crust would be a tasty choice. It would also be an express ticket to sleeping on the couch (the air conditioner is in the bedroom and my husband doesn't suffer the heat too gladly). Enter old faithful: the trusty grill. If you've made pizza at home before, then you know that heat is your friend. You crank that oven up as high as you possibly can, the idea being that you want a browned crust and melted cheese to happen quickly. When grilling your pizza, it's important to be a bit more reserved with those gas knobs. Since the heat of a grill is more direct than a traditional oven, hanging out in the "medium" range is your ticket. That is, of course, unless you love a charred pizza. I didn't think so. Now that you and pizza have been united in summertime backyard bliss, the only decision left to make it to what should go on it. Here's an idea...

Level: Easy
Total: 40 min

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 20 min

Yield: 4 servings

Level: Easy
Total: 40 min

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 20 min

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

For the pesto:

1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds

1 small bunch cilantro (about 2 cups)

Zest and juice of half a lemon

3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil

Splash of water, as needed

Salt and ground black pepper

For the toppings:

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 red bell pepper, sliced into matchsticks

1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced

1 medium zucchini, halved and thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated

Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, plus more for garnish

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Salt and ground black pepper

1/4 cup all-purpose flour, as needed for dusting

1 pound whole-wheat pizza dough

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

Prepare the pesto: In the bowl of a food processor, combine the pumpkin seeds, cilantro, lemon zest and juice. Pulse the machine a few times to chop up the ingredients. Turn the machine on and stream in the olive oil to make a smooth paste (use a few splashes of water if the oil wasn't enough to smooth out the mixture). Season the pesto with salt and pepper and set aside. Prepare the toppings: Place a medium saute pan over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the bell pepper and onion to the pan and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables begin to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the zucchini, garlic, red pepper flakes, and dried oregano to the pan and continue cooking until the zucchini is tender, 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove the pan from the heat and let the vegetables cool slightly.
Preheat a gas grill to medium heat. Lightly dust a work surface with flour and roll out the pizza dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. Lightly brush one side with a bit of the remaining oil and then lay the oiled side down over the grill. Brush the dry side with the remaining olive oil. Cook the crust until the bottom is lightly charred and the dough is starting to puff up, 3 to 4 minutes. Slide the pizza dough off from the grill and onto a baking sheet and flip the dough over so that the grilled side is facing up.
Spread the prepared pesto evenly over the grilled side of the dough. Scatter the cooked vegetables in an even layer over the pesto and then sprinkle the cheese over the vegetables. Slide the pizza back onto the grill, close the cover, and cook until the cheese is melted and bottom crust is deep golden brown and crispy, 4 to 6 minutes. Serve the pizza warm with additional red pepper flakes.

Cook’s Note

If you find that the bottom of the pizza is getting too dark before the cheese has melted, invert a baking sheet, slide the pizza onto it, and put that back over the heat. This will put some space between the crust and the flames and buy you a few more minutes of melting time.