Zucchini Pie with Creamy Ricotta Pesto

This recipe sparkles in its simplicity. The crispy/chewy pizza crust (store bought!) is topped with a creamy blend of ricotta and pesto and then topped with colorful rows of zucchini and yellow squash. A sprinkling of S + P, parmesan and crushed red pepper and off to the oven it goes. Start to finish, you can have this on the table in under 30 minutes.

I wanted to find a use for fresh summer squash and this was SO EASY and DELICIOUS. I love when recipes evolve from produce inspiration. The squash was saying, "Find a great use for me!"

And, I served this as a side dish because, well, I wanted to serve meatballs for dinner! But, this easily works as a main dish. If you want to add protein, put some diced or shredded cooked chicken on top (use up leftovers or buy a rotisserie chicken). Or add grilled or steamed shrimp. I think chunks of salmon would be amazing too...

Make ahead friendly! I assembled this pizza before I headed off for school pick-up. If you want, you can prep up to 24 hours in advance. Assemble the pizza as instructed and, before baking, refrigerate. Pull the pizza from the fridge while you preheat the oven (so it's not REALLY cold when it hits the oven).

Zucchini Pie with Creamy Ricotta Pesto 

1 container (13.8 ounces) refrigerated pizza dough
2/3 cup ricotta
1/4 cup basil pesto
1 small zucchini, thinly sliced into rounds (about 1/8-inch thick)
1 small yellow squash, thinly sliced into rounds (about 1/8-inch thick)
Salt and ground black pepper
1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more if desired

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
Unroll the pizza dough onto the prepared pan and press out into a large rectangle, about 8x14 inches or 9x15 inches (it's doesn't have to be exact - I mean, look at MINE).
In a small bowl, combine the ricotta and pesto. Mix well. Spread the mixture all over the pizza dough, to within 1/2-inch of the edges.

Arrange the zucchini and yellow squash slices on top, slightly overlapping the slices to cover the surface.
Season the top with salt and pepper and sprinkle the cheese over top. Top with the red pepper flakes.
Bake for 12 to 16 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.
Cut into squares and serve!

Serves 4-6