Mozzarella and Fresh Basil Grilled Pizza Recipe
By
Kate Ramos
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A classic combo of tomato sauce, mozzarella, and a few basil leaves allows the smoky, lightly charred crust of this pizza to shine.
What to buy: While homemade is going to taste best, a lot of the components for this pizza can be bought at the store. Premade pizza dough and pizza sauce are widely available and will bump this recipe up to weeknight status.
This recipe was featured as part of both our Dude Food for Dad’s Day story and our Tailgating Recipes photo gallery.
INGREDIENTS
- 14 ounces Basic Grilled Pizza Dough
- Olive oil, for brushing
- Kosher salt, for sprinkling
- 2/3 cup Basic Pizza Sauce
- 8 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick slices
- 8 to 10 large basil leaves, torn in half
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat half of a gas or charcoal grill to high (about 400°F) and the other half to low (about 300°F). Divide dough in 1/2 and roll into 2 rounds about 1/4 inch thick and 10 inches in diameter. Brush the top of 1 round with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
- Lay dough oiled side down on the hotter half of the grill and brush the top with oil and sprinkle with salt. Grill dough without moving until grill marks form on the bottom, about 2 minutes.
- Flip dough with a spatula or tongs to the cooler half of grill. Spread 1/2 of the sauce evenly over dough and arrange 1/2 of the mozzarella on top. Cover and grill, rotating if necessary to avoid any hot spots, until dough is lightly charred and cheese is melted, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Transfer pizza to a cutting board, top with 1/2 of the basil leaves, slice, and serve. Repeat with second round of dough and remaining toppings.
Looking like pizzas from Milano's III.
http://www.milanos3.com/-the best Pizza in Las Vegas.
definitely will give this a try
I was surprised how easy it is to grill the base - I did it with a ribbed stovetop dish, rather than heat up the BBQ grill. And I was gratefu for a recipe that cuts down on the fat . So: many thanks to you!
its hard to make but when its done its great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Grilled pizza is fabulous and easy to make. However, if you're making a simple classic such as this one, little things make a big difference. So yes, use whole milk fresh mozzarella and don't slice it, shred it. It melts better and mixes in the the sauce. And don't cut the basil in half (it's too strong). Shed that too.
I just did my first pizza on the grill and I was very pleased with the results. I process was very similar as described above, but I used a single-layer fire for the whole thing. I also agree with LilMsFoodie and use whole milk Mozz. Splurge, the extra fat won't kill you.
I was crazy about checking the pizza as it cooked because I didn't want to burn it. My toppings were garlic olive oil, salt, sauce, sweet Italian sausage, very finely sliced green peppers, and basil. I know grilled pizzas don't do well with heavy toppings, but I didn't have any problem with all of this. I use a dough recipe that is so simple for any night of the week as long as you get home in time for it to rise. I can't wait to make my next pizza on the grill.
This would be much better with whole milk Mozzarella. That is the kind that get gooey, not plastic-like as the part skim does. I grill pizzas all the time and people go wild for them.