This is a pizza I discovered on a trip to Rome as I wandered the side streets with my mom. It became such a favorite of mine that, on a return trip I made in the cold late fall, I think I ate hot, half-kilo blocks of it every day for a week. This is my at-home version. I love the feeling of giant slices of this hanging from my mouth. It really brings me back to Roman Holidays.

　　

Ingredients

4 servings, 1/2 pizza each

　　Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), for drizzling

　　2 pizza dough rolls from a tube, such as Pillsbury brand

　　Coarse salt and coarse black pepper

　　2 cups ricotta cheese

　　8 garlic cloves, minced

　　4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

　　2 medium to large zucchini

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Drizzle EVOO on one large or two small cookie sheets, then roll out the dough. It’s already in a rectangular shape; just pat it out a bit. Poke with the tines of a fork, season with salt and pepper, and place in the oven for 5 to 6 minutes.

　　

Step 2

In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta with the garlic. When you remove the dough, cover it evenly with the ricotta cheese. Top the ricotta with a layer of mozzarella cheese, then return it to the oven on the center rack and cook until golden, 12 to 13 minutes more.

　　

Step 3

Heat a large nonstick griddle or skillet over medium-high heat. Trim the ends off the zucchini. Cut the zucchini into thin strips lengthwise, no more than 1/4 inch thick. Trim a sliver off the skin on one side if you need to make the zucchini more stable while you slice it. Fill the dry skillet with a single layer of the zucchini strips and cook for 5 minutes, turning once. Remove to a cutting board and repeat. When all of the zucchini is cooked, pile a few slices at a time into stacks. Cut the cooked zucchini across into thin sticks. Pile the sticks together and season with salt and pepper. Scatter the sticks across the pizzas in the last 2 to 3 minutes of cooking time.

　　

Step 4

Serve large squares of the pizza hot from the oven. Ah, Roma!

　　Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats