Roasted Butternut Squash Pizza

Roasted squash, parsley walnut pesto and arugula are the star toppings on this roasted butternut squash pizza, which is an ode to fall / winter feasting.

Sometimes I avoid butternut squash, but it has nothing to do with how it tastes.

I absolutely love any variety of roasted squash. It’s filling and a healthy version of comfort food.

You can eat those root veggies straight off the sheet pan.

To be honest, butternut squash actually shows my laziness.

This thick-skinned veggie can such a pain to prep and cut.

I don’t always have the time or patience to tackle it with a peeler, so I take my knife to it. No, it’s not efficient.

In fact I end up slicing off the skin plus some of the flesh—whoops!

It’s not a big deal. We all could use a little help with our knife skills, right?

How To Make Roasted Butternut Squash Pizza

Pizza is pretty much a food group to me. I adore a flatbread or anything that involves a bread base and toppings.

I wanted to make a fall pizza, so I accepted the knife skills challenge for this roasted butternut squash pizza.

Full disclosure, I thought about using sweet potatoes instead since they’re easier to peel and cube, but I eat A LOT of sweet potatoes. 

It was time to embrace squash. 

I started with my usual dough recipe, but I swapped out half the bread flour with whole wheat flour.

Using a mix of flours gives the crust a chewier and heartier bite. 

While the dough rose, I roasted the squash and made the pesto.

Instead of basil I like making parsley walnut pesto. Its also great tossed in pasta.

Once I rolled out the dough, I gave it a 5-minute head start in the oven.

Then I slathered the crust with pesto and sprinkled on just a little shredded Italian cheese.

When the cheese had melted and the crust turned golden, I topped the pizza with squash, arugula, shaved Parmesan and minced chives.

Shortcuts For Pizza

There are ways to save time making this roasted butternut squash pizza. 

• Use pre-cut butternut squash. Yes, it is more expensive than buying a whole squash, but it is less work.
• Buy pre-made pizza dough in the refrigerated section of the grocery.
• Use jarred pesto.

Roasted Butternut Squash Pizza

• Author: Paige Adams
• Prep Time: 2 hours
• Cook Time: 10-12 minutes
• Total Time: 2 hours 10-12 minutes
• Yield: 1–12 inch pizza 1x

Print Recipe

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Description

Roasted squash, parsley walnut pesto and arugula are the star toppings on this roasted butternut squash pizza, which is an ode to fall / winter feasting.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• For crust
• 2/3 cup warm water
• 1/2 teaspoon dry active yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon olive oil plus more for bowl
• 3/4 cup bread flour plus more for work surface
• 3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
• Cornmeal for pizza stone
• For toppings
• 1 small butternut squash, peeled and cubed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup parsley walnut pesto
• 1/3 cup shredded Italian cheese blend
• 1 handful baby arugula
• 1 tablespoon minced chives
• Shaved Parmesan for serving

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Instructions

1. For the dough, combine the water, yeast, sugar and olive oil and let stand for 5 minutes until foamy. In a large bowl, mix together the flour and salt. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until it forms a shaggy dough.  Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. (Alternatively, the dough can be mixed in the bowl of a stand mixer using a dough hook.)
2. Gather the dough into a ball, transfer to an oiled bowl and cover. Place the bowl in a warm spot to allow the dough to rise until it has doubled in size, about 2 hours.
3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Toss the squash with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes until tender when pierced with a knife.
4. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F with a pizza stone inside the oven.
5. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the pizza dough into a 12-inch diameter circle or oval shape. Sprinkle the preheated pizza stone with cornmeal and place the dough on it. Bake the crust for 5 minutes before spreading on the pesto, leaving a 1-inch border, followed by the cheese. Continue baking for 5-7 minutes until the crust is golden brown and cooked through and the cheese has melted.
6. Scatter the squash and arugula over the pizza. Top with Parmesan and chives before serving.

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