Butternut Squash Pizza

I have not always been successful with butternut squash. In fact, 2 out of the 3 dishes I've ever had to completely trash have been butternut squash recipes. 

This, however, was a complete triumph. I really loved it. So much that I called my mom to tell her about it. I knew even if she thought I was crazy for being so excited over a squash that she still had to love me.

Part of the problem with the large squash varieties is that for a lot of recipes you have to peel, seed, and roast for up to an hour, then puree them - in addition to the rest of the prep for the dish. My favorite mac and cheese recipe took me at least 3 hours to make the first time around (it got faster the next time, since I knew what I was doing).

This is a great way to do it because after the initial ten minutes of peeling, seeding, and slicing, it's not a huge time killer. I put it all in a tupperware and just cooked what I needed as I wanted it.

You know how much I love pizza - especially homemade pizza. This is no exception - possibly one of the best pizzas I've ever made!

Butternut Squash Pizza

Whole-wheat pizza dough

1 medium butternut squash, peeled and seeded

1 small onion, red or white variety, sliced

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

Mozzarella cheese or Ricotta cheese

Parmesan

Thyme

Rosemary

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a baking sheet, toss slices of butternut squash and onion with 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil and spread out evenly. Season with salt and pepper, then roast for about 10-12 minutes until tender (check at about 8 minutes to make sure they're not burning). Remove from oven and set aside, then turn oven heat up to 450 degrees.

Roll your pizza dough out to desired shape and place on a baking sheet (pizza stones are best). Sprinkle thyme and rosemary to taste (I don't love thyme, but it was worth putting a sprinkle or so to complement the squash) over the dough. Spread the cooked squash and onions over the top, then cover with desired amount of cheeses (if using ricotta just drop small spoonfuls around the pizza and cook as is).

Bake in oven for approximately 15 minutes, or until dough is cooked through and cheese is slightly browned and bubbly. Enjoy!

*I make personal pizzas one at a time, which is my preferred method so it's cooked freshly rather than reheating pizza slices later. The dough recipe will usually make 6-8 good-sized slices of pizza, or 6 personal size pizzas.