Grilled Margarita Pizza

We went to North Carolina to welcome my brother home from Afghanistan last week and had a great 5 day family vacation celebrating his return.  Of course, with every vacation comes indulgence in food and drink, and this being my seventh trip of the summer, it was a grand finale of sorts!  Relaxing with my whole family together again really was the perfect way to end the summer.  

Although I was so sad to say goodbye to my brother and sister, when John and I got back in town I was really happy to be back in our house, using our kitchen and grill, and knowing that we'll be here for a while.  No trips are planned until November.  


Since we returned home on Sunday and Monday was Labor Day, we found ourselves with a day off work with nothing planned.  Yay!  We took the pup for a really nice long walk at Piedmont Park, went to Trader Joes, and enjoyed the semi-fall weather (in Atlanta that means that it didn't break 90).   Since we had some time on our hands, we decided to make something we've been wanting to do for a while - grilled pizza!  John grilled the dough on the Big Green Egg and I made an easy tomato sauce and prepared the toppings.  The process is super easy and the smoky flavor that the grill provides makes a huge difference in the taste of the pizza.  We will definitely use this method more often as opposed to baking the dough in the oven which is what I usually do.

Grilled Margarita Pizza
Recipe serves 4 people
Ingredients:
16 oz pizza dough (we used Trader Joes whole wheat dough but you could also make your own)
flour for rolling out dough
1 can diced tomatoes
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp tomato paste
dash crushed red pepper flakes
olive oil
1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves (from our garden!)
2 roma tomatoes
8 oz fresh mozzarella cheese


Directions:
Preheat grill to 400 degrees (or medium high if using a gas grill).  Meanwhile, divide dough into two balls and roll out 2 small pizzas on floured surface.   It doesn't have to make a round shape, just needs to be flat and about 1/4 inch thick.  I kind of like it to look a little misshaped, that way you know it's homemade!  Transfer dough to the grill and cook, covered for 3-5 minutes or until bottom is golden brown. 


For the sauce: bring can of diced tomatoes to a boil and add garlic, tomato paste, and crushed red pepper flakes.  Simmer until the sauce thickens and drain some of the liquid before using.


Remove pizza dough from the grill and top with tomato sauce, sliced tomatoes, mozzarella cheese (sliced into round 1/4" thick pieces), and fresh basil leaves.  Place back on grill and cover.  Cook 4-6 minutes until cheese is melted.  Remove and serve with a crisp green salad and a glass of red wine!


Each pizza will serve two people.