Homemade pizza-making is a great opportunity to get creative with toppings! I encourage you to leave the mozzarella & tomato sauce pies to the experts (if you're in New York at least) and use this an excuse to think outside the box, at least a little bit.
Most people don't picture pizza as the dish to feature autumn produce, but its actually quite an ideal medium—squash and root vegetables achieve their maximum flavor when roasted in a light coating of olive oil, salt & pepper; and balance perfectly alongside the rich, creamy chevre and peppery arugula. Caramelized onions add a sweet balsamic essence that acts like a dressing to the "salad" of squash. The key to this recipe though is the sage, which brings out the autumn flavors of the respective toppings, tying everything together.
Most people don't picture pizza as the dish to feature autumn produce, but its actually quite an ideal medium—squash and root vegetables achieve their maximum flavor when roasted in a light coating of olive oil, salt & pepper; and balance perfectly alongside the rich, creamy chevre and peppery arugula. Caramelized onions add a sweet balsamic essence that acts like a dressing to the "salad" of squash. The key to this recipe though is the sage, which brings out the autumn flavors of the respective toppings, tying everything together.
 |
| Waiting for everything to cook is the hardest part! Luckily we had a gorgeous spread of Anthropologie Home kitchenware to admire in the meantime... |
Caramelized Onion, Goat Cheese & Butternut Squash Pizza (from Natural Noshing. Nora includes a homemade grain-free crust recipe as well which I've substituted for fresh store-bought pizza dough.)
Yield: 1 large pizza pie
Ingredients
1 16 ounce bag whole wheat pizza dough (available at Whole Foods and Trader Joe's)
2 1/2 cups peeled butternut squash, cut into 1/2 cubes
3 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
sea salt and black pepper
2 1/2 to 3 cups arugula, roughly chopped
5 – 6 ounces crumbled goat cheese (if you don’t like goat cheese, feta or your favorite cheese could be used)
1 Tbsp fresh sage, roughly chopped
2 1/2 cups peeled butternut squash, cut into 1/2 cubes
3 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
sea salt and black pepper
2 1/2 to 3 cups arugula, roughly chopped
5 – 6 ounces crumbled goat cheese (if you don’t like goat cheese, feta or your favorite cheese could be used)
1 Tbsp fresh sage, roughly chopped
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400F. In a large baking pan, toss the squash with 1 Tbsp of the olive oil and season with black pepper and sea salt. Bake the squash until slightly browned and tender, about 30 minutes, tossing once halfway through to ensure even cooking. Remove from oven and set aside.
2. While the squash is baking, in a large skillet, add sliced onions and 1 tbsp of olive oil over a medium heat. Saute until onions begin to color, stirring frequently. Add the balsamic vinegar and a dash of salt and stir or toss to combine. Cover, reduce the heat to low-medium, and let cook for about 25 minutes, or until the onions have cooked down and caramelized. Set aside.
3. While vegetables are cooking, roll out pizza dough on a floured surface, and knead according to package directions on pizza stone or lightly oiled baking pan. Once all of your toppings are ready, brush remaining olive oil over the crust and top with cooked squash, onion, chopped arugula, crumbled goat cheese and sage.
4. Bake until the crust is crispy, lightly browned and toppings are heated through and cheese starts to brown slightly on top, about 15-18 minutes.
2. While the squash is baking, in a large skillet, add sliced onions and 1 tbsp of olive oil over a medium heat. Saute until onions begin to color, stirring frequently. Add the balsamic vinegar and a dash of salt and stir or toss to combine. Cover, reduce the heat to low-medium, and let cook for about 25 minutes, or until the onions have cooked down and caramelized. Set aside.
3. While vegetables are cooking, roll out pizza dough on a floured surface, and knead according to package directions on pizza stone or lightly oiled baking pan. Once all of your toppings are ready, brush remaining olive oil over the crust and top with cooked squash, onion, chopped arugula, crumbled goat cheese and sage.
4. Bake until the crust is crispy, lightly browned and toppings are heated through and cheese starts to brown slightly on top, about 15-18 minutes.
