This simply beautiful, tasty and healthy pizza hits all of the right notes for autumn. Butternut squash and arugula pizza is colorful, smells wonderful and tastes even better. And it’s simple to make at home! This recipe is another success from Valerie Bertinelli’s kitchen.
The vibrant orange of the butternut squash and the bright, deep green of the arugula will make any cheerless, wet autumn day seem just a little bit brighter. And the tang of goat cheese along with the ooey gooeyness of mozzarella makes for the perfect mouthfeel. Additional umami comes from the fresh sage, rosemary, garlic and lemon. What’s not to love here? Did I mention that it was easy to put together? So the next time you are looking for a delicious vegetarian option – perfect for meatless Monday – or want pizza without the guilt, try this Butternut Squash and Arugula Pizza.
While most vegetables are available all year long these days, autumn really begins squash season. And not only do squashes taste great and are versatile, but they are nutrient rich foods. Butternut squash is low in calories and high in vitamins, minerals and beta carotene. For some other great recipe ideas that use butternut squash, check these out:
Butternut Squash and Sage Lasagna
Spiced Butternut Squash and Farro Salad
Red Quinoa and Butternut Squash Salad
And for a different take on Butternut Squash Pizza
Recipe
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
Dough
2 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the bowl
Cornmeal, for dusting, optional
Topping
One 2-pound butternut squash, peeled, halved, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch slices (I had a bigger squash so roasted all of it and saved the rest for another use.)
2 1/2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons torn fresh sage leaves
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 large garlic clove, smashed
2 cups shredded mozzarella
4 ounces goat cheese, coarsely crumbled
3 cups baby arugula
Zest of 1 lemon plus juice of 1/2 lemon
Directions
For the dough: Combine the flour, rosemary, yeast, sugar and 1 teaspoon salt in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add 3/4 cup warm water and the oil and process until the dough forms a ball. Transfer to a large, lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let stand in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
For the topping: Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Toss the squash with 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Roast until just tender, about 10 minutes.
In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and the sage, rosemary, red pepper flakes and garlic. Heat for 1 to 2 minutes, just to infuse the oil.
Sprinkle cornmeal or flour on a 14-inch pizza pan and set aside. (I used a heavy-duty cookie sheet because I have a pizza steel but not a pan. The steel was a bit small. The cookie sheet worked just fine.)
Liberally flour a clean work surface. Place the dough on top and use your hands to stretch it out into a 14-inch circle. After patting it out with my fingers, I gently rolled the dough over my knuckles, pushing out carefully to stretch the dough. The circle doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s “rustic,” as Valerie would say! Carefully lay the dough on the pizza pan/cookie sheet. Brush the infused oil onto the dough. Top with the mozzarella and the roasted squash, leaving a 1-inch border around the edge.
Bake the pizza until the crust is golden brown, 14 to 18 minutes. Carefully sprinkle the goat cheese evenly on top.
Toss the arugula with the 2 teaspoons olive oil, lemon zest and juice and a pinch of salt and black pepper. Top the pizza with the arugula, then cut into slices to serve.
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