Grilled Pizzas with Ricotta, Roasted Peppers, and Olives

by: Three Many Cooks

Serves: 4 as a main course and up to 8 as an appetizer

Ingredients

1 cup part-skim ricotta, thinned with 2 tablespoons milk
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, plus extra leaves for garnish
Salt and ground black pepper
1 pound bag store-bought pizza dough
1 jar (12 ounces) fried peppers or roasted red peppers packed in oil, cut into thin strips
16 pitted kalamata olives, halved
4 ounces (about 1 cup) grated sharp provolone cheese
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (about ½ cup)

Instructions

Turn all burners of a gas grill on high or build a medium-hot charcoal fire. Mix ricotta, milk, garlic, basil, and a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper in a medium bowl; set aside.
Without punching or kneading dough (which makes stretching more difficult), turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Using a dough scraper or sharp knife, quarter dough crosswise. Working one at a time, stretch each portion into a rustic 12- by 3½- to 4-inch rectangle; transfer to a large cornmeal-coated baking sheet.
Reduce grill heat to medium; lift stretched pieces of dough onto grill. Cover and cook until bottoms are spotty brown, moving them around to ensure even cooking and piercing puffing dough as necessary, 3 to 4 minutes. Return pizza crusts, grilled side up, to baking sheet, topping with a portion of each in the following order: ricotta mixture, peppers, olives, provolone. Return pizzas to grill; cover and continue to grill until pizza bottoms are spotty brown, 3 to 4 minutes longer. Transfer to a cutting board; sprinkle with Parmesan, cut into pieces and serve.