And then there was my one squash. A big one, but not enough for a dish by itself. So I’m making pizza. I have no idea where the idea came from originally. It’s definitely pretty detailed so probably from a source like Cook’s Illustrated or America’s Test Kitchen.
You can definitely use your own pizza dough, but sometimes it’s ok to buy dough at the grocery store. It definitely saves time. But is it as tasty?
Ingredients:
1 batch homemade or store-bought pizza dough 1 large summer squash, thinly sliced and cut into 1/4-inch-thick matchsticks (grate it if you don’t have the patience to cut it into matchsticks) 8 medium cloves garlic (2 minced, 6 thinly sliced), divided 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling 12 ounces fresh mozzarella, torn into rough chunks and drained 1 lemon, very thinly sliced, seeds removed 8 ounces feta, roughly crumbled into 1/2-inch pieces 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling, divided 1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions, white and light green parts only
Preparation:
Divide dough into four equal parts and place each in a covered quart-sized deli container or in a zipper-lock freezer bag. Allow to rest at room temperature for at least 2 hours before baking.
Combine squash and minced garlic in a medium bowl. Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt and toss to coat. Transfer to a strainer and set over the bowl. Let rest for 30 minutes. Squeeze squash with your hands to remove all excess moisture. Transfer squash to a paper towel–lined plate and set aside until ready to use.
Adjust oven rack to 6 inches under broiler and place stone or steel on rack. Preheat oven to highest possible temperature (500 or 550°F) for at least 45 minutes.
When ready to bake, turn one dough ball out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently press out dough into a rough 8-inch circle, leaving the outer 1 inch higher than the center. Gently stretch dough into a 10- to 12-inch circle, about 1/4 inch thick, by draping over knuckles and gently stretching. Transfer to non-rimmed baking sheet.
Preheat broiler to high. Spread 1/4 of mozzarella over pizza, followed by a few lemon rings, 1/4 of zucchini, 1/4 of feta, and 1/4 of thinly sliced garlic. Sprinkle lightly with salt and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Run pizza under broiler, rotating regularly for even cooking, until edges are puffed and lightly charred and bottom is crisp, 3 to 6 minutes total. Remove pizza from oven and let rest one minute before serving. Repeat for remaining pizzas.
Sprinkle with scallions, slice, and serve immediately.