Smoky Vegetarian Pizza

Have to admit I love pizza, and I think my favorite is the traditional and simple pizza Margherita ... a good red sauce with fresh basil and mozzarella cheese. Perhaps a little boring for some, but I love it.

One of our most enjoyable summer dinners, especially when we have friends and family around, is to make our own pizza dough and cook pizzas on the grill. We roll out small, individual rounds and put out lots of toppings so everyone can make their own 'designer' pizza. They all enjoy this, especially the kids.

But there isn't always time to make dough and let it rise, or make your own pizza sauce. It's nice that there are so many crust options available now that make it easy to quickly whip up a pizza that anyone will enjoy. Choices range from refrigerated doughs to Boboli crusts and flatbreads. 

And anything goes in terms of sauces and toppings too. Instead of tomato sauce I've made pizzas using basil pesto, olive tapenade and barbecue sauce.

Here is an example of using barbecue sauce.The barbecue sauce lends a smoky flavor and the beans and corn provide fiber, a little crunch and some nice protein. This is especially nice for the vegetarians in the group!

Smoky Vegetarian Pizza
(Serves 4.)

• 1 tomato, peeled, seeded and diced
• 1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and well drained
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed and well drained
• 1/4 cup barbecue sauce
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 16-ounce Boboli pizza crust, Naan flatbread or your favorite cooked pizza crust

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Smoky Vegetarian Pizza

Combine diced tomato, beans and corn in a medium bowl.

Place the pizza crust on a baking sheet. Spread a thin coat of barbecue sauce on the crust and sprinkle with the vegetable mixture. Top with the mozzarella cheese.

Place the sheet in the preheated oven and bake until the bottom of the crust is crisp and cheese has melted, about 15 minutes.

Let pizza stand 5 minutes, slice and serve.