Meatless Monday: Red Grape Pizza with Honey, Rosemary and Pecorino

Main Courses, Meatless / Monday, January 25th, 2010

Some things just inspire curiosity. The Apple Tablet. Lady Gaga. Jamie Oliver’s Red Grape Pizza.

I saw this recipe on Jamie’s website and just kept coming back to it. Mini-pizzas brushed with rosemary and olive oil and topped with blistered (but still juicy) red grapes, a drizzle of honey and some bite, courtesy of a liberal amount of shaved Pecorino. The sort of fruit-and-herb combination you won’t find at Domino’s, no matter what they say about that new formula.

The flavors are complex, but the recipe is simple and ripe for variations. Add a few walnuts or pine nuts for a little crunch. Maybe some shallots to take things more savory. Replace the Pecorino with goat cheese, feta or blue cheese. You could even ditch the honey and trade the grapes for cherry tomatoes. I won’t tell Jamie.

Red Grape Pizza with Honey, Rosemary and Pecorino

Adapted from Jamie Oliver via JamieOliver.com

Serves 4

  • 1 recipe pizza crust (homemade or store-bought)
  • 2-3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 large handfuls red grapes, halved and seeded
  • 4 teaspoons honey (1 for each mini pizza)
  • 1/2 cup Pecorino
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Prepare your dough, place it in a bowl greased with a little olive oil, cover, and leave it in a warm place for 15 minutes to 1 hour (until it doubles).
  3. Meanwhile, bash the rosemary in a mortar and pestle, add olive oil, and bash again.
  4. Divide the dough into 4 pieces. Knead each one briefly, and shape them into 4 small pizza crusts. Place them on a baking sheet.
  5. Brush the pizzas with the rosemary and olive oil mixture. Scatter with the halved grapes. Drizzle each pizza with a teaspoon of honey, and shave some Pecorino over the top.
  6. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the crusts are cooked and the cheese is melted.

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11 thoughts on “Meatless Monday: Red Grape Pizza with Honey, Rosemary and Pecorino”

  1. What a grand idea… the fruit and cheese course on an edible tray! I love the combinations here and will probably try to fit this in to an upcoming cooking class. The unexpectedness will surprise and delight my students. Thanks for sharing.

  2. I love the sound of this. I never think of grapes when I bake fruits but I can imagine they taste wonderful. They go so well with cheese too

  5. I'm so predictable with pizza. It's the one food I never experiment with; I don't know why. This looks great though. How could I not love it?

  6. This looks delicious! I love grapes and rosemary – had never thought about putting them together before though.

  7. I made this last night! It is fabulous. I added carmelized onions, yellow peppers, and spinach. With the honey and grapes as well, it was the perfect combo of savory and sweet. This is definitely going in my regular rotation.

  8. How interesting! This would be fabulous with a glass of muscat since it goes so well with strong cheeses drizzled with honey. This is just a more fun presentation!

  10. I've been meaning to post a comment ever since I made this pizza last month. I didn't have honey, I know, weird, right? But the grapes I had were sweet enough that I didn't miss it. Also, just for kicks, I sprinkled a little bit of blue cheese on half of the pizzas (I made 7 smaller pizzas). The grapes and the cheese with the hint of rosemary was so fantastic! I'm thinking of trying out a salad dressing mixing these flavors. Thanks for the great recipe!

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