Grilled Heirloom Tomato and Basil Pizza

Serves 2

Now a well-loved and widely traveled variety of pizza, this combination was the inspiration of 19th-century Neapolitan pizza maker Raffaele Esposito, who created it to honor Queen Margherita, wife of Italy’s King Umberto I, on a royal visit to Naples in 1889.

ingredients

1/2 batch thin-crust pizza dough
All-purpose flour for dusting
Olive oil for brushing
3 1/2 oz. mozzarella cheese, grated
4 oz. heirloom tomatoes, thinly sliced, or 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
5 or 6 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

directions

1
Prepare a hot fire in a grill and preheat a pizza stone for at least 30 minutes, until the thermometer on the stone registers 500°F.
2
Using a rolling pin or your hands, gently roll out or stretch the dough into a 10-inch round. Lightly dust a pizza peel with flour and lay the dough on top. Lightly brush the dough with olive oil. Scatter the cheese evenly over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Arrange the tomatoes on top and season with salt and pepper. Carefully slide the pizza onto the preheated pizza stone, cover the grill and bake until the crust is golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes.
3
Using a pizza peel, transfer the pizza to a cutting board and cut into slices. Scatter the basil over the pizza and serve immediately.