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When it’s too hot to turn on the oven, fire up the grill instead – then make this delicious Grilled Zucchini Pizza.
Wow – it’s been a scorcher these last few days – and the last thing we want to do is heat up the house by turning on the oven. That’s when we’re glad to have an outdoor grill – so we can make this Grilled Zucchini Pizza!
This Grilled Zucchini Pizza recipe started as a way to use up some of our garden zucchini (which is now growing like gangbusters in this hot summer heat). It’s crispy and light – and a really delicious way to eat more vegetables.
How do you grill a zucchini pizza?
To start – if you want – you can make your own pizza dough and pizza sauce. (Our homemade recipes are delicious and you can do the prep ahead of time.) But we used both store-bought dough and sauce which are totally acceptable short-cuts.
To accommodate long strips of zucchini, we decided to shape our pizza dough into rustic rectangles. We rolled and stretched the dough to approximately 12×6-inch pieces, then placed them on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper, then dusted with flour to avoid sticking. (If you have rimless cookie sheets like this, it will make it much easier to slide the dough onto the grill.) Set aside until ready to grill.
Next, mix together ricotta cheese, shredded mozzarella cheese, grated Parmesan cheese, chopped parsley, salt, pepper and a little olive oil. Set aside.
Next, slice each zucchini into three or four long strips. (No need to peel them.) Coat with oil and season with salt and pepper.
Now – you’re ready to grill! You’ll grill the slices of zucchini first, then grill the dough – partially cooking both – before assembling your pizza for the final cooking stage.
Slide the grilled dough back on the cookie sheet and assemble your Grilled Zucchini Pizza – a layer of pizza sauce, the cheese mixture, slices of grilled zucchini, then top with mini balls of fresh mozzarella.
Place the cookie sheet right on the grill grates and close, adjusting the flame as needed so that grill is hot enough to melt the cheese, but not so hot that it will burn your pizza.
Once the cheese is melted, remove the pizza to a cutting board. Top with torn pieces of fresh basil, slice and dig in!
We absolutely loved this Grilled Zucchini Pizza – and I think you will too!
You may enjoy these other pizza recipes:
- Keto Sheet Pan Pizza
- Mexican Street Corn Bacon Pizza
- Pear and Gorgonzola Pizza with Arugula and Ranch Dressing
- White Barbecue Pizza with Prosciutto and Caramelized Onions
- Upside-Down Deep-Dish Skillet Pizza
We love seeing what you made! Tag us on Instagram at @afamilyfeast or hashtag #afamilyfeast so we can see your creations!
Grilled Zucchini Pizza
Ingredients
2 pounds (32 ounces) pizza dough, store bought is fine
1 cup pizza sauce, store bought is fine
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
6 small to medium zucchini, about 6–8 ounces each
6 ounces fresh mozzarella balls
Fresh basil for garnish
Instructions
Preheat grill to medium high on all burners.
Flour your counter and divide dough into two.
Roll out each into a rustic rectangle shape. Mine were approximately 12X16 inches but not perfectly shaped.
Place parchment sheets on two cookie sheets and dust with flour then transfer the dough to each pan. Cover with a towel until ready to grill.
In a medium bowl, mix ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses along with the parsley, ½ teaspoon of salt, ¼ teaspoon of the pepper and 2 tablespoons of the oil. Set aside.
Take each zucchini and nip off each end. Hold firmly and slice a small sliver off one side, then the opposite side. Then hold your hand over the top like an upside-down horseshoe and slice the zucchini into three or four long flat slices, each about a half inch thick. If the zucchini rolls, your fingers should be out of the way holding it from the top this way.
Place the zucchini slices in a pan or casserole dish and pour on 4 tablespoons of the olive oil along with the remaining salt and pepper and toss to coat.
When ready to grill, clean grill grates and brush on some vegetable oil to prevent sticking.
Grill the zucchini 4-5 minutes per side or until the are slightly charred and are no longer stiff. If you lift one, it should be soft and flexible but not soft and mushy. Place back into the same pan.
Clean the grill again and again brush on a little vegetable oil to prevent sticking.
Brush the tops of each dough with the remaining two tablespoons of oil. Pick up each dough by one end keeping the parchment on and flop oiled side down onto the grill, then peel off the parchment. (Leaving the parchment on while you lift it helps to hold it in place without folding or turning).
Grill only a minute or two to brown and stiffen the dough. Flip each over and brown the second side then remove to the cookie sheets. Once they are browned, you can easily slide them off with tongs onto the cookie sheets.
Divide the pizza sauce between the two crusts.
Divide the cheese mixture between the two crusts over the sauce.
Lay the zucchini slices over the cheese.
Dot with the fresh mozzarella balls.
Place the cookie sheet with the pizza (leave pizza on pan) onto the grill and immediately turn the grill burners to medium low and close the cover. As soon as the top is hot and bubbly, remove. (Grills are all different so you may need to raise or lower heat to get the temperature inside hot enough to melt the cheese without overcooking the crust. As long as you use a cookie sheet and not a sheet pan, you should achieve a perfect pizza. Most cookie sheets have an insulated layer which will protect the bottom)
Slide off of the cookie sheet onto your cutting board and top with torn fresh basil leaves, cut and serve.
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