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The Rustic Ratatouille Pizza before the cheese is added
I dream (and daydream) up new dishes all the time, but mostly I dream about pizza. Pizza is a fabulous vehicle for culinary creativity because it’s literally a blank canvas. Pizza can be sweet or savory, vegetarian or loaded with meat, and topped with Camembert or basic mozzarella—whatever your little heart desires.
This week, my heart desired vegetables. Lots of them. I wanted to eat heaping helpings of garden-fresh vegetables. I wanted my veggie-laden plate to look like the most vibrant rainbow my backyard had ever seen. And I wanted to do it ALL on the grill.
So, here it is, my Rustic Ratatouille Pizza, done completely on the grill. It’s got purples, reds, oranges, yellows, greens and beautiful off-white Fontinella cheese to make those vibrant vegetal hues stand out even more. It’s creative cooking, for sure, but if you’re going to spend time outside, you might as well be making this gorgeous, healthy and incredibly delicious pizza and sharing it with those you love most.
Rustic Ratatouille Pizza
This is one of those pizzas where a fork might be necessary. It’s packed with beautiful grilled summer vegetables and topped with cheese. Click here for a print copy of this recipe.
1 lb pizza dough, homemade or store-bought
1 zucchini, cut into quarters lengthwise
1-2 Japanese eggplants, halved lengthwise
1 large red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and quartered
1 red onion, quartered
½ pint cherry tomatoes
¼ c. olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 Tbs. fresh oregano, finely chopped
¼ c. flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
2-3 Tbs. cornmeal
1 (8 oz.) jar of your favorite marinara sauce—I love DiNicola Spicy Marinara
1 (8 oz.) block fontinella cheese, grated, or purchased shredded Italian cheese blend
Equipment: 3-4 skewers, pizza pan,
Grill veggies. Preheat grill to medium-high. Place all cut vegetables and the tomatoes in a large shallow baking dish, add the ¼ cup of olive oil, and toss to coat. Season veggies to taste with salt and pepper. Put the tomatoes on the skewers. Place the vegetables on the grill and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, turning halfway through the cooking time. Remove the tomatoes, cover grill, and cook the remaining vegetables for 2 minutes, or until almost cooked through.
Make the ratatouille. Transfer vegetables to a cutting board and coarsely chop (leave tomatoes whole). Place the chopped vegetables and tomatoes back in the large bowl, add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil, garlic, oregano and parsley, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.
The grilled ratatouille
Grill pizza. Using hands, stretch out pizza dough to make a large, even circle. Brush top of dough with olive oil. Holding the board you rolled the pizza out on at a 45-degree angle, gently flip the pizza oiled-side down onto the grill. Let the pizza cook until the bottom is lightly browned.
Gently lay the dough onto the grill and cook until puffed and lightly brown.
Add toppings. While the crust cooks, oil the other side of the pizza and sprinkle the pizza pan with cornmeal. Using two spatulas, move the pizza from the grill to the pizza pan with the grilled side facing up. Working quickly, spread on the marinara, then top with the ratatouille. Move the pizza pan to the grill and top with the shredded cheese. Cover the grill and cook the pizza until the cheese melts and the bottom has browned, about 7-10 minutes. Remove from grill, slice and serve.
Grilled Ratatouille Pizza
This Rustic Ratatouille Pizza doesn't last long
