5 Ingredient Grilled Pesto Pizza Recipes

GRILLED PESTO PIZZA WITH MARINATED MOZZARELLA AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• Add to a high-powered blender the basil, arugula, Parmesan, garlic and a pinch of salt and blend while streaming in the mozzarella oil until smooth. Taste and add salt as needed. Set aside.
• Preheat an outdoor grill to high (500 to 550 F.) While your grill is heating, lightly oil a large sheet pan (or 3 half-sheet pans) and place your dough balls on top. Use your fingers to stretch the pizza dough balls into a loose circle or oval about 1/8-inch-thick. Don't get too hung up on the shape, irregular is beautiful. Work your way around the dough to make sure that it's an even thickness throughout. Lightly brush oil on the top of the dough as well. Lightly sprinkle the tomatoes with salt.
• Place your doughs on the hot grill and close the lid. Cook until golden brown char marks appear and the doughs are cooked on the underside, 2 to 3 minutes. Open the lid of the grill, flip the doughs over and quickly spoon the pesto over top of the cooked side leaving a little border for the crust. Top with the sliced tomatoes and marinated mozzarella. Close the lid and cook until the cheese melts and the doughs are completely cooked through, about 3 minutes. Remove from the grill and enjoy.

RUSTIC PESTO PIZZA

Steps:

• Make the pesto: place the toasted pine nuts in a bowl (or mortar) and crush with a wooden spoon (or pestle) to make a chunky paste. Add in the garlic and a pinch of salt and combine. Mix in the basil and Parmesan. Stir in the olive oil and season with pepper.
• Put a pizza stone onto the floor of the oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Put the dough onto a floured surface and knead and stretch the dough to about an 8-inch diameter. Dust a wooden pizza paddle with cornmeal and carefully transfer the dough. Spread the pesto over the dough, leaving 1-inch around the edge to form a crust. Top with the onion and tomato slices and season with salt and pepper. Scatter the olives all over the pizza and top with the fresh mozzarella. Slide the pizza onto the stone and bake until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden, about 8 to 10 minutes.

GRILLED PESTO PIZZA

Steps:

• Preparation instructions:
• Prepare the dough: Whisk 1 cup warm water (about 105 degrees F) and the sugar in
• a small bowl and sprinkle the yeast over top. Let stand until foamy, about 10
• minutes. Stir in olive oil.
• Whisk the flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center, pour in the
• yeast mixture and stir to make a shaggy dough. Place dough on a floured surface
• and knead about 5 minutes, until smooth and elastic, adding just enough flour
• to prevent it from sticking. Form into a ball, place in a large oiled bowl, turning to
• coat with the oil. Turn seam-side down and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise at
• room temperature about 1 hour, 30 minutes, until doubled in size. Meanwhile,
• preheat a grill to medium high (if using a charcoal grill, bank the coals to one
• side) and grill the toppings.
• Add vegetables to grill, cook until tender or:
• Onion: Cut 1 medium red onion into 8 wedges. Toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil
• and season with salt and pepper. Grill, turning, until soft, about 10 minutes; slice.
• Mushrooms: Toss 8 oz. stemmed shiitake mushrooms with 3 tablespoons olive
• oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill, turning, until soft, about 2 minutes per
• side; cut in half.
• Remove and arrange the grilled vegetables on a baking sheet, season with salt
• and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil. Add the remaining toppings to the baking
• sheet; place near the grill.
• Grill Sausage, remove and coin slice.
• Reduce the grill heat to medium-low (on a charcoal grill, spread the coals into
• a single layer and let cool until they are covered in a light gray ash). Divide the
• dough in half and dust the dough and work surface with flour. Roll each piece
• into a 7 x 12" rectangle, about 1/8 inch thick. Brush baking sheet with olive oil
• and place both crusts on it. Lift each piece by the corners and place on the grill,
• oiled-side down; cook about five minutes until the dough puffs and the underside
• is stiff and marked.
• Flip the dough with tongs, brush with olive oil, spread with the pesto sauce and
• top with mozzarella. Arrange the grilled vegetables and sliced sausage on top.
• Cover and cook about five more minutes or until the cheese melts.
• Remove pizzas from grill and transfer the pizzas to a cutting board. Top with the
• greens, basil, a drizzle of olive oil and salt. Cut and enjoy!
• *Always cook sausage to internal temperature of 160 degrees F