Grilled Summer Vegetable Pizza

In addition, pizza might not be the first thing you think of when it comes to cast-iron skillets. Maybe we’re crazy, maybe we’re just born contrarians, but we think all of these elements can come together in a really flavorful way.

Sometimes, we love to grill outside...and sometimes we don't. Last night, we decided to use the cast iron Le Creuset extra-large grill that fits perfectly on our stovetop. Cast iron grill pans like this one (or similar versions by Lodge) impart a nice, smoky flavor to whatever you cook on them because the juices drip in-between the grooves and are transformed into a flavorful smoke—no charcoal needed.

Always trying to figure out appealing ways to sneak more vegetables into every meal, we chose to highlight summer produce favorites such as Japanese eggplant, zucchini, farmers market spring onions, mini bell peppers, and baby Bella mushrooms. We definitely got some good grill marks on all of these thickly sliced beauties.

Now, the crust! If you’ve never made a crust from scratch before, this is your chance. You don’t have to proof it overnight or toss it in the air like a pizzolo. The whole thing easily came together in an 11-and-3/4-inch iron handle skillet, our enameled red Le Creuset version. The best part is that this crust just may remind you of your favorite chewy, crunchy deep-dish pizza crust from a certain hut-shaped pizza restaurant you loved back when you were a kid. The first step is drizzling a generous amount of olive oil into your iron handle skillet; this helps to ensure that your crust will be crispy and airy.

It all comes together in a healthy and satisfying meal that eats like comfort food, but provides a ton of great nutrition, and isn’t that the combo we all want more of in our lives? Now let’s get cooking!