Grilled Pizza Toppings, With a Light Hand

For grilled pizza, go lighter with the toppings and keep them on the delicate, if not dressy, side. In addition to familiar flavorings such as kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, extra-virgin olive oil and crushed red pepper flakes, here are ingredients you should have on hand, and a few of my favorite combinations.

-- Tony Rosenfeld

· CHEESES: thinly sliced fresh mozzarella; grated fontina, mozzarella, smoked Gouda or cheddar cheese; crumbled feta, blue cheese or goat cheese; shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano or pecorino Romano.

· VEGETABLES: thin strips of raw red bell pepper, red onion or scallions; thinly sliced grilled portobello mushrooms, red pepper, red onion or asparagus; caramelized onions or roasted garlic cloves; baby spinach or arugula dressed with olive oil; diced ripe tomato, halved grape tomatoes or diced canned tomato.

· FRESH HERBS: chopped rosemary, thyme or oregano; torn basil leaves.

· PANTRY INGREDIENTS: Homemade or jarred pesto, jarred roasted red pepper, canned artichoke hearts, pitted kalamata olives, jarred sliced jalapeños or hot cherry peppers; cooked, crumbled sausage, crisped bacon or pancetta; very thinly sliced prosciutto, smoked ham or diced grilled chicken breast.

Some of My Favorites

· Margherita: Toss diced ripe tomato (or drained diced canned tomato) with olive oil, salt, pepper, chopped rosemary and torn basil leaves. Top the pizza with the tomato, thinly sliced fresh mozzarella and freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

· Asparagus, Fontina and Prosciutto: Dress asparagus spears with olive oil, salt and pepper, grill until tender, then cut into 1-inch pieces. Top the pizza with the asparagus, thinly sliced red onion, shredded fontina and thinly sliced prosciutto.

· Grilled Red Onion, Sausage and Goat Cheese: Slice a red onion into 1/4 -inch rings, skewer with small metal skewers, drizzle with olive oil and grill for about 15 minutes over a medium fire, flipping every couple of minutes, until browned (but not burned) and mostly tender. Top the pizza with crumbled, cooked sausage, goat cheese, the grilled red onion and chopped rosemary.

· Artichokes and Black Olives: Top the pizza with sliced and cooked (or canned) artichoke hearts, halved pitted kalamata olives, diced fresh tomato, chopped thyme, grated mozzarella and Parmigiano-Reggiano.

· Grilled Chicken and Pesto: Spread homemade or jarred pesto on the pizza; top with crushed red pepper flakes, thinly sliced roasted red pepper, grilled chicken and fresh mozzarella.