The Butternut Squash Pizza Experiment.

A while back I discovered a fabulous pizza at a local restaurant. Featuring butternut squash, ricotta and sage on a thin but chewy crust, it was anything but typical Italian fare! I had the pleasure of sharing it with friends from out of town and my mom became an instant fan when we ordered in during one of her visits.

 

Then, the unthinkable happened – the restaurant closed! We were pretty sad that we would no longer be able to enjoy it on a whim and my mom kept talking about how she was craving the pizza upon visits to my apartment. And so it became my quest to find a recipe online…without much luck! A few dozen clicks later, I finally came across something similar on the Epicurean Mom blog, and adapted it from memory.

 

While the steps to creating the pizza are a little labor-intensive, this is an overall easy recipe that I recommend you try – especially since it’s in season and perfect to serve as an appetizer at any holiday gathering! 

 

 

 

Roasted Butternut Squash, Ricotta and Sage Pizza

 

Yields a 10-inch pizza, 6 servings (2 pieces each)

 

Recipe adapted from Epicurean Mom

 

Ingredients:

 

1 thin-crust pizza dough (you can make your own or use pre-made – I used Pillsbury brand)

 

1 small onion, peeled and sliced

 

13 fresh sage leaves, chopped plus a few whole leaves for garnish

 

1 small butternut squash, peeled and diced into 1-inch squares

 

3 cloves fresh garlic, minced

 

2 tablespoons olive oil

 

1 cup part-skim Ricotta cheese

 

Salt and pepper to taste

 

 

Preparation:

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lay diced butternut squash and garlic onto a baking sheet, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Toss to coat. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until tender. Let cool slightly, then scoop the squash pieces and garlic into a food processor. Pulse until smooth. Set aside.

 

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until browned and starting to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Add most of the chopped sage leaves and stir constantly, cook until fragrant and starting to crisp, about 3 minutes. Turn off heat and set aside.

 

Pat out your pizza dough to form to a baking sheet or a 10-inch pizza pan sprayed with non-stick spray. Make sure the sides are slightly thicker to form a crust. Set aside until ready to assemble.

 

Turn oven up to 500 degrees.

 

Generously sprinkle dough with salt and pepper. Drizzle the dough with the second tablespoon of oil and spread the caramelized onion and sage mixture evenly. Top with alternating dollops of the squash puree and ricotta. 

 

Bake for 7-10 minutes, or until a golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with remaining fresh sage leaves and enjoy!

 

Nutrition Facts per Serving:

Calories: 302.4
Fat: 10g

Saturated Fat: 3.1g
Carbs: 44.9g
Fiber: 4.4g

Sodium: 526mg
Protein: 10.7g

PointsPlus® Value 8