Beet Week(end) Part 2: Beet-Ricotta Pizza

I've often thought it might be appropriate for this blog to include the word "pizza" in its title.  All of my roads seem to lead back to it, and eventually everything I cook ends up on a crust.  During the summer, grilled pizza is my weapon of choice.  Now that it has become such a popular dinner, I am compelled to switch it up a bit.  I don't like swinging in on the end of a trend.

The beautiful thing about adding beets to your pizza is obviously color.  But biting into a simple crust topped with thin sliced beets, handfuls of chopped basil, fresh ricotta and mozzarella, and you will surrender to this beauty and the beet (I know I know, groan all you want but forgive me; it's summer).

Am still loving my latest crust experiment.  It works on the grill even better than my past pies.  For this pizza I substituted 1/3 whole wheat flour for regular. 

Beet-Ricotta Pizza
One half pizza crust dough from recipe link above, rolled about 12 inches diameter
One beet, sliced very thin
One round of fresh mozzarella, about 4 ounces, sliced or torn
About 1/3 cup ricotta
Good handful fresh basil and any other nice herbs you want to add, chopped
1or 2 cloves of garlic grated with microplane
Pecorino, grated (amount to taste)
Olive oil, salt and pepper

Brush bottom side of pizza dough with about one tablespoon olive oil and place oiled-side down on hot grill (I test the grill by holding my hand 5 inches above the grate for 5 seconds.).  Cover and let cook about 4 minutes.  Check crust to make sure it isn't burning and turn it to get nice cross-grill marks on the bottom and to promote even cooking.  When bottom is nice a golden and top is starting to bubble, remove crust from grill.

Brush top side with olive oil, then flip.  Spread garlic over cooked side of crust; top with mozzarella, beets, basil, ricotta, salt and pepper.  Return to grill; cover.  Check after 4 minutes to make sure bottom isn't burning, then turn to get cross-grill marks; cover and cook until top is melting and bottom is nicely browned.
Top with Pecorino. Enjoy. 

Serves about 4 as part of a larger meal; 2 if you are hungry.

Note: This would be great with the addition of beet greens, but my beet was a little past its prime.