Pepperoni Pizza Piccola

The popular American toppings of pepperoni and a basic tomato sauce taste best, perhaps, in small doses, such as in these Frisbee-size mini-pizzas.

 

MAKES 6 MINI-PIZZAS, EACH ABOUT 5 INCHES IN DIAMETER

 

QUICK TOMATO SAUCE

2	tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1	garlic clove, minced
1½	cups canned tomato purée or crushed tomatoes with purée
2	tablespoons minced fresh basil
½	teaspoon dried oregano
	Salt, optional

CHEESE TOPPING

¾	cup grated mozzarella cheese, at room temperature
½	cup fresh-grated Parmesan cheese, at room temperature
2	tablespoons minced fresh basil
1	garlic clove, minced
½ to 1	teaspoon crushed dried hot red chile
½	teaspoon dried oregano
2	tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3	ounces pepperoni, sliced very thin, at room temperature
¼	cup sliced briny black or green olives
	Lean-and-Mean Pizza Crust ([>]), formed into six 5-inch mini-crusts

Prepare the sauce, first warming the oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the gar he and sauté it about 1 minute, then stir in the remaining ingredients. Bring the sauce to a simmer over high heat and cook for 5 minutes. Keep the sauce warm. (The sauce can be made a day ahead and kept covered and refrigerated. Rewarm before proceeding.)

Fire up the grill for a two-level fire capable of cooking at the same time on both high heat (1 to 2 seconds with the hand test) and medium-low heat (6 seconds with the hand test).

Prepare the cheese topping, combining the ingredients in a medium bowl.

Place the cheese mixture, the sauce, a spoon for the sauce, the oil, an oil brush, the pepperoni, and the olives within easy reach of the grill. The process needs to go quickly once you begin cooking. Place a baking sheet near the grill on a convenient work surface and have your largest spatula handy too. You'll be making two small pizzas at a time.

Transfer the first two crusts to the grill, laying them directly on the cooking grate. Grill uncovered over high heat for 1 to 1½ minutes, until the crusts become firm yet still flexible. (Don't be alarmed if they puff up; you'll flatten them when you flip them over.)

Flip the crusts onto the baking sheet cooked side up. Immediately brush them with one-third of the oil, spoon on one-third of the sauce, top with one-third of the pepperoni and olives, and sprinkle with one-third of the cheese mixture. Quickly remove the pizzas from the baking sheet and return them to the grill, uncooked side down, arranging the pies so that half of their crusts are over high heat and the other half are over medium-low. Cook the pizzas another 3 to 4 minutes, rotating them in quarter turns about once a minute. With the spatula, check the bottoms during the last minute or two, rotating a bit faster or slower if needed to get uniformly brown, crisp crusts.

Slice the pizzas into wedges and serve immediately. Repeat the process for the rest of your pizzas.

 

TECHNIQUE TIP: For fast pizza-type snacks on the grill, use ready-made bread for the base. Grill the split side of a bagel, focaccia square, or baguette, or one side of a flour tortilla or pita round. When toasted, flip it over, cover with toppings, and grill the bottom side to heat through. Since you're just heating the "crust" rather than cooking it, grill these "pizzas" at medium heat or lower.