Grilled Peach and Arugula White Pizza

I have been on a bit of a pizza kick ever since I perfected my cauliflower pizza crust.  Basically I have been putting every topping imaginable on a pizza, some turned out spectacular, some not so much, but nothing is ever too bad when there is melty cheese smothering it :)

The combination of grilled peaches and arugula might seem strange at first, but once you bite into a slice you will understand.  It's one of those bizarre combinations that happens to be fantastic (unlike pineapple and ham pizza...yuck!)

The first time I made this pie, I only used half a grilled peach thinking a whole peach would make the pizza too sweet.  Turns out the peach was not overpowering at all, and I was actually upset that I wasn't getting chunks of peach with every bite so this time I used a whole peach.  The flavor combination of the peppery arugula, sweet peach, and creamy ricotta is outstanding.  There is no place for tomatoes on this pie!  As much as I wanted to use some tomatoes from my garden, I found that they didn't add anything and in fact distracted from the subtle sweet flavor of the other ingredients.  Just have an appetizer of cherry tomatoes to get your tomato fix!


Grilled Peach and Arugula White Pizza

crust of choice (I used cauliflower pizza crust)

1 peach, cut in half and pitted
1/3 cup part-skim ricotta
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 red onion, sliced thin
1 cup arugula, loosely packed
salt and pepper, to taste

crumbled bacon, or tempeh bacon (recipe to come later this week!)

Directions:
Heat an outdoor grill or grill pan over medium heat.   Brush the flat side of each peach half with olive oil and sprinkle it with salt and pepper.  Place the peach flat side down on the grill and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until you have nice char marks.  Remove and let cool before cutting.

Cook crust according to instructions.  Preheat the oven to 450 F.

Dice the peach halves into about 1/2" pieces.  Spread the ricotta on the crust, leaving an inch around the edges.  Sprinkle the basil, parsley, and red onions evenly over the ricotta.  Next, spread the arugula evenly over the crust.  Add the diced peaches and top with the mozzarella cheese.  Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese starts to bubble and brown.  Let cool for 5 minutes before slicing.