Join Chef Kendrick Dopp on our new show Cooking for Love and try this wonderful grilled zucchini and ricotta flatbread appetizer. It’s perfect for a quick snack or an appetizer before dinner on a cold winter day.
And, zucchini is surprisingly healthy and packed with nutrients. A couple of the health benefits of zucchini are that it improves digestion and helps to slow aging. Besides that, it also contains zero fat, is high in water and fiber and contains significant amounts of vitamins and minerals. And, ricotta cheese, well who doesn’t like cheese? Well, as it turns out, it’s fairly good for you as far as cheeses go. Ricotta has omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids (helping to prevent heart disease and cancer) and one serving of ricotta cheese contains vitamin A (11% daily value), riboflavin and vitamin B12.
Now, let’s get on with the recipe:
Grilled Zucchini and Ricotta Flatbread
makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for grill
- 2 large zucchini (about 1 lb.), sliced lengthwise ¼” thick
- 1 bunch scallions, trimmed (about 6 oz.)
- Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper
- 1 lemon, halved
- 1 pound prepared pizza dough, room temperature, divided in half (or you also buy premade flatbread at any grocery store)
- 1 garlic clove, halved
- 6 ounces fresh whole milk ricotta
- ounce grated asiago cheese or pecorino
- Crushed red pepper flakes and torn fresh basil leaves, for serving
Directions:
- Prepare grill for 2-zone heat (for a charcoal grill, bank coals on 1 side of grill; for a gas grill, leave 1 or 2 burners off); lightly oil grill grates.
- Toss zucchini and scallions with 2 Tbsp. olive oil; season with salt and pepper.
- Grill over direct heat, turning often, until zucchini and scallions are tender and charred in spots, about 5 minutes; set aside. Meanwhile, grill lemon halves cut-side down over direct heat until lightly charred, about 4 minutes; set aside.
- Cut scallions into 2” pieces with scissors.
- Gently stretch each piece of dough into a rectangle or oval about 14”x8” and transfer to 2 lightly oiled baking sheets. (If dough springs back, cover and let rest 10 minutes, then stretch again, resting as needed).
- Transfer both pieces of prepared dough to grill over direct heat. Cook until first side is lightly charred and dough is dry and stiff, about 1 minute. Turn and cook just until reverse side has a few light grill marks, about 30 seconds.
- Next, transfer to baking sheet and let cool slightly. Rub charred side of dough with garlic and top with grilled vegetables, dividing evenly.
- Dollop with ricotta and sprinkle with asiago.
- Return flatbreads to indirect heat; close grill and cook until cheese is warmed through and crust is crispy, about 5 minutes.
- Then, transfer to work surface and squeeze charred lemon halves over the flatbread.
- Sprinkle with red pepper flakes, basil, and salt; drizzle with olive oil.