Make the perfect pizza. A crisp crust depends upon a hot oven. Ovens in pizzerias can reach much higher temperature than home ovens, but there are steps you can take to mimic the effect. Use a pizza stone, which helps keep the bottom of the crust crisp and dry as it bakes. Another option is to line a baking rack with unglazed tiles. Tiles and stones should be allowed to preheat before you put the pizza on them. A peel, which looks like a large wooden paddle, is used to slide the pizza onto the stone or tile. Use a quick, jerking motion and a flick of the wrist to slide the bread from the pan onto the tiles. You may use store-bought or CIA’s pizza dough for this recipe.
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 2 small yellow squash, sliced 1/4-inch thick on a diagonal
- 2 small zucchini, sliced 1/4-inch thick on a diagonal
- 2 medium Vidalia onions, sliced 1/4-inch thick
- 1 medium eggplant, sliced 1/4-inch thick
- Salt and pepper as needed
- 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, or as needed
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- Cornmeal for dusting
- Pizza dough (Recipe Link)
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
- 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F or preheat a gas grill to medium high.
- Put the sliced vegetables in a large colander and sprinkle them generously with salt. Allow the vegetables to rest for 15 minutes to begin extracting water. Rinse the salt from the vegetables. Drain and blot the vegetables dry to remove excess water before roasting.
- Arrange the vegetables on baking sheets in a single layer and drizzle with the olive oil and garlic, reserving about 2 tablespoons of the oil.
- Roast the vegetables in the oven or grill them over direct heat until lightly charred and tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. When the vegetables are cool enough to handle, cut them into thin strips if desired. (This can be done in advance and the vegetables held in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.)
- When you are ready to assemble and bake the pizzas, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Scatter a thin coating of cornmeal on baking sheets (or preheat pizza stones in the oven if they are available). Stretch the pizza dough into either 1 large round or 4 individual rounds and place on the prepared baking sheet. Spread the ricotta on the pizza dough in a thin layer and top with the chopped or sliced roasted vegetables and the mozzarella. Drizzle with a little of the remaining olive oil and top with parsley.
- Bake the pizzas until the crust is crisp and golden brown and the cheese has melted, about 15 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve immediately.