Don’t let these puppies fool you. We call them mini-pizzas, but there’s nothing all that little about them, in either size or flavor. It just makes us feel better, because you find yourself eating a lot of them before you know it!

　　

Ingredients

serves 4 to 6

　　

PIZZA SAUCE

1 tablespoon olive oil

　　3 cloves garlic, chopped

　　1/2 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes

　　One 32-ounce can crushed tomatoes

　　1/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves

　　Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　Pinch of sugar (optional)

　　

ROASTED VEGETABLE WITH SMOKED MOZZARELLA PIZZA TOPPINGS

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

　　1 red bell pepper, seeded, cut into 1-inch chunks

　　1 small zucchini, quartered, cut into chunks

　　1 small red onion, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick rings

　　3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for the grill and dough

　　Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　12 ounces smoked mozzarella cheese, grated

　　1/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves

　　Two 1-pound balls pizza dough, store-bought or homemade, at room temperature

　　

PEPPERONI AND JALAPEÑO PIZZA TOPPINGS

8 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese, grated (about 2 cups)

　　4 ounces pepperoni, sliced

　　1 jalapeño, thinly sliced

　　

Step 1

Make the pizza sauce: Heat the olive oil in a medium sauté pan until hot. Toss in the garlic and red-pepper flakes, and cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant and golden, about 1 minute. Lower heat, add the tomatoes, and let simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the basil, and season with salt and pepper. Taste for seasoning. If the sauce needs some sweetening (it will depend on the tomatoes you are using), add a pinch of sugar.

　　

Step 2

Prepare the roasted vegetable pizza toppings: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Toss the tomatoes, red pepper, zucchini, red onion, and olive oil together on a rimmed baking sheet, seasoning with salt and pepper. Roast until the veggies are tender, about 20 minutes, and set aside.

　　

Step 3

Preheat the grill to medium heat. Make sure the grill grate is very clean by scrubbing it with a grill brush. Carefully (and quickly) oil the grate with olive oil, using a crumpled-up paper towel.

　　

Step 4

Cut each dough ball in half. Flour your work surface, and gently stretch two of the dough halves out to 8-inch rounds. Gently place the stretched dough on the grill grates over indirect heat, well clear of any direct flame, and cover with lid. Let the dough cook for 2 or 3 minutes, until the crust starts to become crisp and browned. (It’s a good idea to take a peek to make sure the underside of the dough is not getting too dark. If it is, pull it even farther away from the heat.) If all is well and the dough is looking good, brush the top side of the dough with olive oil and carefully flip, using a pair of tongs, keeping the pizza crust on the cooler area of the grill, well away from direct heat.

　　

Step 5

Spread a nice ladleful of sauce on each of the grilled pizza-dough rounds. For the veggie pizza, first top a round with half of the smoked mozzarella and then half of the roasted vegetables. For the pepperoni pizza, first top the other dough round with half of the plain mozzarella, then half of the pepperoni and half of the sliced jalapeño.

　　

Step 6

Cover the grill with the lid, and cook for another 2 or 3 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the crusts are crisp. Remove the pizzas from the heat.

　　

Step 7

Top the veggie pizza with fresh basil, then cut both pizzas into slices and serve. Repeat with the other halves of the dough balls and toppings.

　　Reprinted with permission from The Neelys' Celebration Cookbook by Pat and Gina Nelly. Copyright © 2011 by Pat and Gina Nelly with Anna Volkwein. Excerpted by permission of Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.Pat and Gina Neely are restaurateurs, best-selling authors, popular speakers, and hosts of the Food Network hit series Down Home with the Neelys. They recently opened their first New York City restaurant, Neely's Barbecue Parlor. They live with their daughters in Memphis, where they enjoy cooking at home with family and friends.Ann Volkwein is a best-selling food and lifestyle author based in New York City and Austin, Texas. Her previous books include: The Arthur Avenue Cookbook, Chinatown New York, Mixt Greens (with Andrew Swallow), and, with Guy Fieri: Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives; More Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives; and Guy Fieri Food.