Grilled Peach and Prosciutto Pizza
Just because it’s grilling season does not mean we have to give up pizza, with this grilled pizza you get the best of both worlds! Grilled peaches and prosciutto are a sweet and salty match made in heaven. The addition of fresh basil really lets summer flavors truly shine in the most delicious way possible. This pizza pairs perfectly with a Caesar salad, favorite summer wine or beer, and a nice patio on a sunny evening.
Both store bought and homemade pizza crusts grill beautifully, making this recipe so easy. Simply grill the crust first, brush with garlicky olive oil, add your toppings (except basil) and leave on the grill until the cheese melts. Finish with fresh torn basil and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes and enjoy while pizza is hot and crust is crispy.
Kitchen Tip!
Have you ever tried grilling a pizza? It has quickly become my all time favorite way to mock that wonderful wood fired char taste with a chewing, crisp texture. This is something I have yet to accomplish by cooking pizza in my oven. I have grilled store bought refrigerated dough many times, which works wonderfully. Today I attempted a homemade sourdough pizza dough recipe from King Arthur Flour which also grilled easily, tasted great, and had that crispy pizza crust texture that I love.
Simply roll pizza dough out to desired size, but keep in mind the size of your grill top. Roll the dough out on a surface in which you can use to transport it to the grill. Ensure you use lots of flour, ideally your dough will be able to slide on the cutting board or whatever surface you used to roll it out on for an easy transfer to your grill top. I found the method that works the best is to flip your dough over several times and sprinkling it with flour in the rolling process. Make sure your grill is hot and the grill grates are clean before sliding dough onto the grill. Once cooking, the dough should only take a few minutes per side, look for bubbles on the top and grill marks with a few charred areas on the underside before flipping. Too easy!
Health Benefit!
Most of us living in the United States are falling short of the recommended fruit and vegetable intake. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the average adult should aim for 2 cups of fruit and 2 1/2 cups vegetables per day. Regardless if sticking to these guidelines aligns with your healthy eating values or not, most of us can agree that eating more produce is a health goal we can get onboard with. My favorite way to help clients do this is thinking of ways we can add more produce to meals that we wouldn’t traditionally include extra fruits or veggies, like peaches on your pizza! Who else loves salad as a pizza side? There you go, 2 servings deliciously included in this summery dinner meal.
An apple a day (AND peaches, spinach, berries, and so on) really can help to keep the doctor away. Fruit and vegetables provide essential vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants and phytochemicals that can help reduce the risk of and help manage many chronic diseases. Produce intake has been associated with decreased risk of heart disease, osteoporosis, obesity, and age-related mental decline.1 These nutrients have also been shown to improve digestion, and reduce inflammation.
Grilled Peach and Prosciutto Pizza
Ingredients:
- 1 large peach, ripe but still firm
- 1 Store bought or homemade pizza dough
- 8oz fresh mozzarella ball, sliced
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
- 3-5 oz prosciutto
- 1 large handful fresh basil
- Red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions:
- Heat your grill to medium high heat. Ensure grill grates are clean.
- Slice peach into thin slices, about 1/4 inch thick. Place peach slices on the grill evenly spaced. Grill for about 5 minutes per side, or until the peaches have grill marks on them. Remove from grill place on a plate and set aside.
- Roll out pizza dough to a large oval or rectangle, shape so that it will fit on your grill nicely. Ensure the dough does not stick to rolling surface, I usually use a large cutting board with flour under the dough so it can slide.
- Once grill is hot, slide dough onto grill grates. This may take two people to ensure the dough does not fold over on itself. Grill 3-5 minutes or until dough has bubbled up and there are some slightly charred areas, flip and cook the other side for another 3-5 minutes. Remove from grill and place crust back on the cutting board. Do not turn your grill off yet.
- While the dough is cooking, press sliced mozzarella between 2 paper towels to reduce the amount of moisture the cheese releases while cooking.
- Mix olive oil and chopped garlic in a small bowl. Use a basting brush, brush entire crust, top and bottom with garlic and olive oil.
- Assemble pizza by topping crust with mozzarella slices, grilled peaches, and prosciutto.
- Place crust with toppings back on the grill, turn off, and shut the lid. Let pizza sit on the grill for 3-5 minutes, or until the cheese melts.
- Remove from the grill and top with torn basil and optional red pepper flakes.
- Enjoy while hot alongside a fresh summer salad!
Resources
Pem D, Jeewon R. Fruit and Vegetable Intake: Benefits and Progress of Nutrition Education Interventions- Narrative Review Article. Iran J Public Health. 2015;44(10):1309-1321.
