Grilled Pizza Margherita: Revs 0, Galaxy 1

Yes, it's true. I've made this before. And posted pictures of it on my blog. But when Julie asked if I would cook for her teenage niece and nephew at this weekend's tailgate, a grilled pizza seemed like the perfect crowd pleaser. Besides, I didn't include the full recipe last time around.

I toyed with the idea of switching up the toppings, but pizza margherita is just so satisfying on a hot day. You read that right! Finally, a hot day at Gillette!

This method of preparation can certainly be applied to any sort of pizza with any sort of toppings. The high heat of the grill makes for good hot cooking (read: crispy and slightly charry crust).

(We also had delicious snacks. Thanks, Julie!)

Grilled Pizza Margherita
Ingredients
 raw pizza dough (recipe here or buy pre-made at your grocery store - often near the bakery section).
 classic pesto (recipe follows)
 olive oil
 tomatoes, thinly sliced
 mozzarella cheese ball, sliced into discs
 Handful of fresh basil leaves
 Crushed red pepper, to taste

Preparation
 1. Heat grill until it is quite hot (medium high is appropriate if you have a gas grill).
 2. Keep all tools close at hand, including long metal tongs, a spatula, and a brush. Have your toppings sliced and ready to go.
 3. Stretch your pizza dough into a large circley shape.
 4. Brush dough with olive oil on one side.
 5. Place dough on grill, olive oil side down. Brush the other side with a little olive oil, too. Allow the dough to cook until it has brown grill marks on it but is still soft on top.
 6. Carefully flip dough using your spatula/tongs.
 7. Immediately spread a generous layer of pesto onto cooked side of dough and top with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil to your liking.
 8. Close grill lid and allow to cook for about 5 minutes, or until cheese is the right amount of gooey and dough has the right amount of charry grill marks.
 9. When pizza is cooked to your liking, remove by dragging from the grill with your tongs. Allow to cool, then enjoy!

Classic Pesto
Ingredients
 2 tablespoons pine nuts
 2 garlic cloves, peeled
 3 tablespoons olive oil
 4 cups fresh basil (about 4 oz)
 1/2 cup grated fresh parmesan
 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation
 1. Place nuts and garlic through food chute with food processor on; process until minced.
 2. Add oil and pulse 3 times.
 3. Add basil, cheese, and salt. Process until finely minced, scraping the side of the bowl once.