Zucchini and Yellow Squash Flatbread with Pesto

As pretty as it is divine! This golden brown flatbread is crispy, chewy, blanketed with pesto-spiked ricotta, and decorated with a rainbow of colorful summer vegetables. And get this: start to finish, you can have this on the table in under 30 minutes.

This dish sparkles in its simplicity. Store-bought, crispy/chewy pizza crust is topped with a creamy blend of ricotta and pesto and then layered with rows of zucchini, yellow squash and tomatoes. That's the entire process. You could almost do it with your eyes closed (if the prep didn't involve a knife).

If you grow your own zucchini, you’ll likely have an endless supply for the foreseeable future.
On the other hand, if your type of gardening involves selecting summer squash from the produce bin at the grocery store (or rustic table at the farmer’s market), you’ll find it’s hard to pick ONE squash without a few tumbling onto the ground. Now you have the PERFECT solution for all that courgette goodness!

This is prep-ahead friendly too! If you want to prep ahead, assemble the flatbread as instructed and, before baking the second time, refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Pull the flatbread from the fridge 30 minutes before baking and finish the recipe as instructed. 

Zucchini and Yellow Squash Flatbread with Pesto

1 container (13.8 ounces) refrigerated pizza dough

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

1/4 cup prepared basil pesto

1 small zucchini, thinly sliced into 1/8-inch thick rounds 

1 small yellow squash, thinly sliced into 1/8-inch thick rounds 

1-2 vine-ripened tomatoes, thinly sliced into 1/8-inch thick rounds

Salt and ground black pepper

1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese

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 8x13 inches. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven; keep the oven at 400 degrees. 

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 alternating slices of the zucchini, yellow squash, and tomatoes on top of the pesto mixture, slightly overlapping the slices to cover the surface.

Season the top with salt and pepper and sprinkle the parmesan cheese over top. 

Bake for 8 to 10 more minutes, until the crust is dark brown. Cut into squares and serve warm or room temperature.

Serves 4-6