Roasted Butternut Squash Pizza
on Oct 01, 2018, Updated Jun 16, 2021
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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
Ingredients
- 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
Instructions
- 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.)
- 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.
- 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.
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F with a pizza stone inside the oven.
- 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.
- Scatter the squash and arugula over the pizza. Top with Parmesan and chives before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
