Pizza at the Ready

What do you serve for dinner when you are expecting guests, but are not sure when they are going to arrive?  That was the question on Saturday- but not a big concern.  We picked up some frozen pizza dough and proscuitto at Vincenzos, grilled some asparagus and mushrooms, grated the cheeses and waited for our guests to land in Waterloo.  Pizza and salad are always a crowd pleaser when cooked on the grill. It takes 8 minutes on the barbecue when using a pizza stone, then you can sit back and enjoy the crisp, gooey pizza with your friends.  The smoky flavour of the crust and the grilled vegetables accompanied with a simple green salad go so well with a glass of wine.

Grilled Pizza with Mushrooms, Asparagus and Proscuitto

Pizza is a snap to prepare on the barbecue if you have a pizza stone and a wooden pizza peel. Place the pizza stone on the grids and preheat the barbecue on HIGH for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to MEDIUM.

2 balls frozen pizza dough, thawed and rested
1/4 cup corn meal

1 cup tomato sauce
1 handful fresh asparagus
1 cup cremini mushrooms, grilled
1 large onion
12 slices of proscuitto, thinly sliced
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/3 cup fresh basil, chiffonade

Set pizza dough out at room temperature and allow to thaw, 3-4 hours. Once it is at room temperature, place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth and allow it to rest for another hour. At this point, the dough should be soft and pliable. Shape or roll it into a circular shape to fit the pizza stone.

Sprinkle a handful of cornmeal onto a wooden pizza peel (or the back of a baking sheet). This helps though dough to slide easily off of the pizza peel and onto the hot stone.  Gently lift the stretched dough onto the floured peel. Top the pizza, scattering the ingredients around to within 1/2 inch of the border. Shake the peel (or baking sheet) gently back and forth to make sure the pizza isn't stuck. If it seems stuck, lift the edges up with a spatula and toss a bit of flour under the dough. Quickly slide the pizza onto the hot baking stone. Bake until the edges are golden, about 8 min. Using a peel, a wide spatula, or tongs, remove the pizza from the grill.

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