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Grilled White Pizza with Greens is seen in this Wednesday, April 30, 2008 photo. Pizza on the grill is a summertime dinner that is fun to make and far more memorable than delivery. This Grilled White Pizza with Greens uses thinly sliced toppings and is assembled right on the grill. (AP Photo/Larry Crowe)

Great pizza on the grill requires some serious speed.

And while that makes grilled pizza an excellent weeknight dinner candidate in summer, it also means you need to pay more attention to prep than you normally might. So here's what you need to know.

— THE DOUGH

You can buy prepared dough from the grocer, but for the best quality go to your favorite pizza joint and ask to buy a ball of dough. Most will look at you oddly, but nevertheless sell you one for a few dollars.

If you won't use it right away, keep you dough refrigerated. But before you try to stretch it out, let it come to room temperature for about an hour. If you don't, the dough will be tough and refuse to stretch.

— THE TOPPINGS

Because pizza cooks so quickly on the grill, most toppings need to be thinly sliced and fully prepared before they get on the pizza.

For example, fresh vegetables added to a pizza on the grill won't have time to soften. You will need to grill or saute them separately before putting them on the pizza. Do this before the dough ever hits the grill.

— THE METHOD

Unlike oven-baked pizza, grilled pizza is assembled on the grill, not in the kitchen. That's because an already assembled pizza will burn on the bottom before it has time to cook through.

To avoid that, start by placing the plain dough on the hot grill and cooking the bottom. The dough then is flipped and the toppings are added to what formerly was the bottom.

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GRILLED WHITE PIZZA WITH GREENS

Start to finish: 30 minutes

Servings: 2

1 ball prepared pizza dough, room temperature

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for grilling and serving

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 large leek, trimmed and cut into thin rounds

6 cups chopped greens (such as kale, chard, spinach, etc.)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 cups shredded Gouda cheese

On a lightly floured counter, use your hands to flatten the dough. Cut the dough in two, then use a rolling pin to roll each half into a 10-inch round or oval. Place a moist, but not wet, towel over the dough and set aside.

In a large skillet over medium-high, heat the oil. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes and leek. Saute until the leek is tender and just starting to brown.

Add the greens and saute until just wilted, about 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the greens mixture to a bowl and set aside.

Preheat a grill on medium-high. Assemble all ingredients near the grill.

Drizzle the top of each pizza dough with olive oil, then use a pastry brush to coat evenly.

Carefully place the pizza dough rounds on the grill, oil-side down. Grill until the dough begins to lightly brown and the bottom is covered with distinct grill marks, about 2 minutes.

Drizzle the top of each dough round with additional oil, then use tongs to flip each over. Use the tongs to spread half of the greens mixture over each pizza, then top each with 1 cup of shredded cheese.

Close the grill cover and cook another 3 minutes, or until the bottoms are cooked and the cheese has melted. If the dough cooks too quickly, turn off one side of the grill and move the pizzas to that side.

Before serving, drizzle each pizza with olive oil.

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EDITOR'S NOTE: J.M. Hirsch can be e-mailed at jhirsch(at)ap.org.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press.