Grilled Pizza with Ricotta, Asparagus, and Sausage

Don’t let the grill be only for burgers! Once you grill a pizza like this Grilled Pizza with Ricotta, Asparagus and Sausage, you’ll never want to make it any other way!

Grilling pizza is life-changing. It takes a little time to get used to (and we don’t have a pizza peel, which would have helped matters a ton), but once you get the hang of it, you can’t beat the flavor and the speed in which a pizza arrives on your plate.

As you can probably tell from my photos, I don’t have my grilled pizza game down quite yet (maybe I should invest in a pizza peel!). However, I’ve never been the type to shy away from rustic food. If you call it rustic, it sounds fancy and purposeful rather than a delicious mistake due to the lack of finesse.

The great thing about grilled pizza is that it has a flavor similar to that of a pizza cooked in a wood-fired oven. I don’t know about you, but I don’t have one of those in my backyard. But I do have a grill, and a handsome hubby that rolls with the punches when I tell him he’s grilling pizza instead of our usual chicken or steaks.

I chose to top my pizza with creamy ricotta (I’ve been on a ricotta kick lately), sausage, and asparagus. I used a classic mild pork sausage, but feel free to use a spicier sausage if you like things with a little heat. The sausage and ricotta pairs perfectly with the crisp green asparagus. I drizzled mine with a bit of good quality olive oil but this would also be phenomenal with a splash of balsamic vinegar or balsamic reduction for a great tanginess. I kept things pretty simple, as you can tell, but other things that might be great on this grilled pizza would be some fresh tomatoes or herbs to really brighten things up.

Grilled Pizza with Ricotta, Asparagus, and Sausage

Yield: 2 pizzas, 8 servings total

Total Time: 18 minutes

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes

Don’t let the grill be only for burgers! Once you grill a pizza like this Grilled Pizza with Ricotta, Asparagus and Sausage, you’ll never want to make it any other way!

Print Recipe

Ingredients:

• pizza dough for two pizzas
• 1 (16 ounce) package original pork sausage
• 1 bunch of asparagus, cut into bite-sized pizzas (about 3 cups)
• 15 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese
• extra virgin olive oil

 

 

 

Directions:

1. Heat grill to medium heat.
2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add sausage and break up as it browns. Cook until browned, drain grease, return to pan and then add asparagus. Continue to saute for 2-3 minutes until asparagus is bright green and tender. Remove from heat.
3. Stretch pizza dough to about 1/2 inch or thinner. This recipes makes 2 pizzas but can be halved if you want. Brush both sides of dough with olive oil.
4. Carefully put dough on heated grill and cover. Cook for two minutes, and look at the underside (grill side) of dough. It should be golden brown and the top should be bubbling up. If not, continue to cook for one minute intervals, checking after each minute. Once golden brown, remove to a cookie sheet or a pizza peel (grilled side facing up) and add toppings to grilled side. Spread ricotta almost to edges and then top with asparagus and sausage mixture. Drizzle with olive oil if desired. Carefully return pizzas to grill and grill for 3-4 minutes or until toppings are heated through and pizza dough is cooked through. Remove from grill, slice and serve immediately.

All images and text ©Rachel Cooks.

Verdict: Grilled pizza for life.

Husband’s take: He loved this grilled pizza – which is good since I’m definitely going to be making him grill many more pizzas in the future.

Changes I would make: I touched on a few things earlier in this post that would be delicious.

Difficulty: Be patient and have things prepped but if you read through the recipe completely before starting, you shouldn’t have any problems at all mastering pizza on the grill…even if it’s “rustic.”

Craving more pizza? Try: Apple and Chicken Sausage Pizza with Macaroni and Cheese Stuffed Crust, Chicken Enchilada Flatbread, Grilled Pizza with Pesto and Tomatoes, Manwich Pizza, Grilled Eggplant Flatbread, Mac and Cheese Pizza, Charred Corn with Rosemary Grilled Pizza from FoodieCrush, or Grilled Pizzas with Chicken and Zucchini from Handle The Heat.

And duh, I have a Pinterest board dedicated to the pizzas and flatbread!

Follow Rachel Cooks | Rachel Gurk’s board Pizza and Flatbread Recipes on Pinterest.

**Disclosure: I am thrilled to be a dairy ambassador for Milk Means More.  I have been compensated by Milk Means More for the time it took to develop and share this recipe. All opinions are as always, my own. Find out more about why Milk Means More on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Pinterest.