This Grilled Sausage Ratatouille French Bread Pizza is loaded with spicy sausage, grilled garden-fresh vegetables including zucchini, sweet red cubanelles, red onions, and corn, slathered with spaghetti sauce, loaded with lots of melty mozzarella & provolone cheese, and all piled on top of grilled garlic butter & herb french bread! One of THE BEST pizzas I’ve ever made! A GREAT way to use up all that zucchini and extra garden veggies, too!

 

We both love ratatouille, but I didn’t happen to grow any eggplant this year, and since we’re both total carnivores, I swapped out traditional, “meaty” eggplant for some spicy sausages. But you can certainly grill up some slices of fresh eggplant if you’d like.

My garden produced a lot more zukes than I had expected, too, so that was my inspiration. And this turned out to be one of the most fun ways to use it yet!

Doesn’t it look DIVINE??!!!

So let’s get this party started!

 

 

 

 

 

I wasn’t sure that this project was going to even happen when I stepped outside that day. The winds were already steady at 40 miles an hour, and the wind gusts were well over 60! Within just a little over an hour, I wouldn’t doubt it if the gusts topped 100. It was one scary day!!

I literally got blown into the deck railing twice, and once I was almost knocked to the ground! But I wasn’t going to let that stop me! But I did want to apologize for some of the slightly blurry and dark photos. It was extremely difficult to stand still in those strong winds, and the skies were turning black at just after 12 noon!

 

So, to get this going, you’re going to want to get your sausages cooking on the grill first, since they take the longest. I used Premio’s Hot Italian Sausage links, but you can use whatever kind you prefer.

 

 

 

 

 

Once your sausages are about halfway done, add your slices of zucchini and grill tray of peppers and onions. *I pre-tossed all of the vegetables (including the zucchini slices) in a little olive oil before placing them on the grill.

 

 

 

 

 

Keep turning your sausages, and toss your veggies in the pan, with tongs. When the zuke slices have nice grill marks on each side, give your other veggies another final toss, then place your zucchini on top.

 

 

 

 

 

Leave it be on the grill in a cool spot to stay warm.

 

 

 

 

 

When they’re done to your liking, remove them.

 

 

 

 

 

Then remove your sausages when they’re done, too.

 

 

 

 

Next, slice open your french bread lengthwise, butter the insides with real garlic & herb butter such as Minerva Dairy’s, and place buttered side down onto the grill.

 

 

 

I only made one half since it was just the hubs and I. And just grill until how you like it. Lightly toasty or a little charred!

 

 

 

Then add a nice amount of spaghetti sauce and a little sprinkling of cheese for glue.

Slice up your sausages….

 

 

 

 

….and start layering! I started with the zucchini slices….

 

 

 

 

 

…then added the sausage slices…..

 

 

 

 

…then the peppers and onions.

*The second day I added corn, too, and that was delicious as well!! So add some corn if you happen to have some on hand!

 

 

 

 

By this time, it was REALLY getting dark and scary out!!!! The winds were freaky and the oak trees had me very nervous!!!

So I really had to pick up the pace!!

I added handfuls of cheese…..

 

 

 

…and practically threw the loaf on the grill and shut the lid!!

 

 

 

 

And look how GORGEOUS it turned out!!

And just as the skies were opening up and starting to rain and thunder!!

 

 

 

 

I got one more QUICK shot before trying to make it to the door!!!

 

 

 

And let me tell ya, I was relived to be inside the house!! The oak trees were really bending in the ferocious winds!!!

But this. Was all going to be worth it!!!

 

 

 

 

I let it rest for just a few minutes….

 

 

….before slicing that baby up!

 

 

 

 

It sliced beautifully, and smelled HEAVENLY.

 

 

 

 

 

THIS. Was going to be GOOD.

 

 

 

I had never put zucchini on a pizza before, and now I’m SO glad that I did, because WOW!! Just wow.

 

 

 

 

This Grilled Sausage Ratatouille French Bread Pizza ended up being one of the BEST pizzas I’ve ever made! And luckily, with the horrific weather I was battling and being tossed around in like a rag doll, it’s actually easy and quick to make, too!!

You can design yours any way that you please, making one or half vegetarian, or add sausage for those like us who want a little (real) meat on there.

Great for weekends, quick weeknight meals, or slice the pizzas up into thinner slices as appetizers for backyard parties! Hope you all enjoy as much as we did!!

 

 

Yield: 6 - 8 servings or 12 - 16 appetizer slices

Grilled Sausage Ratatouille French Bread Pizza

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Ingredients

• 1 (1 lb.) package hot italian sausage links (I used Premio®)
• 1 large zucchini, unpeeled, sliced medium-thick / not too thin
• 2 sweet red cubanelle peppers, deseeded and julienned into 1/3 - 1/2" strips
• 1/4 of a large red onion, sliced into thin wedges
• 1/2 cup corn, grilled and sliced off the cob, canned (drained), or frozen, optional but good!
• 1 wide loaf semi-soft french bread, sliced in half lengthwise
• Minerva Dairy Garlic & Herb Butter, softened, as much as you like
• spaghetti sauce, as much as you like (I used Barilla's Tuscan Herb Pasta Sauce)
• 1 (8 oz.) bag shredded mozzarella & provolone blend cheese (I used Sargento)

Instructions

Preheat grill to medium.

When hot, place sausages onto grill, and cook, turning occasionally.

While sausages are cooking, slice up veggies. Toss all in olive oil and place peppers and onions onto a perforated grill pan. When sausages are half done, place zucchini slices onto grill along with pan of peppers and onions. Turn and toss all as needed. When zucchini has nice grill marks, place on top of peppers and onions and keep warm on a cool side of the grill, or just remove. When sausages are done, add to veggie pan and set aside.

Slice open bread lengthwise and spread insides with butter. Place onto grill buttered side down and toast as desired. (Lightly or char a little.) Remove, place onto sheets of foil, and spread with as much spaghetti sauce as you'd like. Don't go too light with it or your bread might be dry.

Sprinkle with just a little cheese for glue, then top with zucchini slices, overlapping. Slice sausages on the bias and add, followed by peppers, onions, corn (if adding), and lots of cheese.

Place back onto grill, close lid, and grill until cheese has melted.

Remove from grill, place loaves onto a pizza paddle or cutting board, slice, and enjoy!

Notes

*Can add (or sub for the sausage) grilled slices of eggplant.