Grilled Smoked-Mozzarella & Yellow Squash Pizzettes
Submitted by happyzhangbo
Grilled pizzettes top crisp, smoky individual crusts with sauteed yellow squash, tomato, basil, and melty smoked mozzarella. Cooked right on the grill for a charred, summer-fresh personal pizza.
YIELD
2 servingsPREP
5 minCOOK
6 minREADY
15 minGrilling pizza sounds fussy until you’ve done it once, then you’ll wonder why you ever turned on the oven in summer. These little 4-inch pizza rounds, or pizzettes, cook fast over the coals and pick up a smoky char no oven can match.
A couple of techniques make them work. First, stretch the dough by hand rather than rolling it. Rolling fights the dough’s elasticity and it just shrinks back; gentle stretching holds the round in shape. Second, the squash and tomato get a quick saute first so they’re barely tender, which keeps them from steaming the crust soggy or sitting raw during the short grill time.
The grilling itself is a two-sided affair: grill one side until golden, flip, then pile the topping and smoked mozzarella onto the cooked side and grill until the cheese melts. That smoked mozzarella is the secret weapon, its smokiness doubling down on the grill flavor and tying the whole thing together.
Chef Tips
- Stretch the dough with floured hands instead of rolling; rolled dough shrinks back from the elasticity.
- If the crust puffs up over the coals, prick it with a fork to let the air escape and keep it flat.
- Have your toppings prepped right beside the grill; pizzettes cook in minutes, with no time to chop mid-grill.
Variations
- Swap in zucchini, thinly sliced eggplant, or roasted peppers for the squash.
- Use fresh mozzarella or fontina if you can’t find smoked, plus a pinch of smoked paprika for that smoky note.
- Finish with a drizzle of balsamic glaze or a handful of arugula after grilling.
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare grill. Thinly slice squash.
Halve and thinly slice tomato lengthwise.
In a large nonstick skillet heat oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking and cook squash with salt and pepper to taste, stirring frequently, 2 minutes.
Add tomato and cook until squash is barely tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in basil.
Divide dough into 4 pieces.
On a floured surface with floured hands rotate and stretch each piece into a 4-inch round.
(Do not roll out, as dough has too much elasticity and will shrink.)
Put rounds in one layer on cornmeal-dusted baking sheet.
Grill rounds, cornmeal sides up, on a lightly oiled rack set 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals until undersides are golden, 2 to 3 minutes.
If crusts puff up in the center, prick with a fork to allow air to escape.
Flip crusts over with a metal spatula and top each with one fourth squash mixture.
Sprinkle pizzettes with mozzarella and grill until undersides are golden and cheese is melted, about 2 minutes.
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