If the chill in the air has you wanting to make some heartier pizzas, look no further for inspiration than the fall farmers’ market. Apples, butternut squash, sage, kale, mushrooms, cauliflower, figs…these ingredients are perfect. The American Heart Association recommends eating eight or more fruit or vegetable servings each day. This fall’s harvest offers the opportunity to revisit the classics while searching for new flavors. What better way to enjoy these ingredients than on a pizza. You can prepare it so many different ways, so experiment and have fun with it. Who knows? Maybe you will create a new family favorite that you can look forward to year after year.
Master Pizza Dough Recipe:
Make this dough at least one day ahead.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour
- ½ cup white whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon honey
- Semolina flour for dusting
Directions
Combine the flour, salt and yeast in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the oil, honey and water and stir on low-speed until the flour is all absorbed. Switch to the dough hook and mix on medium speed for 5 to 7 minutes, or as long as it takes to create a smooth, sticky dough. Transfer the dough to floured work surface and gently round into a ball. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight (or up to 3 days).
Sage Pesto and Butternut Squash Pizza
For a vegetarian version, leave out the pancetta.
Ingredients
- One prepared pizza dough, see above, or your favorite pizza dough
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons sage pesto (recipe follows)
- 3/4 cup caramelized butternut squash (recipe follows)
- 2 ounces Fontina cheese, shredded
- 4 thin slices of pancetta cut into bite size pieces
- 1 leek (white part only), halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4 inch slices
- Fresh cracked pepper to taste
- Grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
- Freshly grated nutmeg to taste
Sage pesto:
- 1 cup walnuts
- 1 cup loosely packed fresh sage leaves
- 1/4 cup loosely packed parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Caramelized butternut squash:
- 1/2 small butternut squash cut into 1/2 inch dice
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
For the sage pesto:
Combine the walnuts, sage, parsley, salt and nutmeg in the bowl of a food processor and pulse 10 to 15 times to break up the walnuts and herbs somewhat. With the processor running, slowly pour in the olive oil. Process until smooth. Taste and add additional salt, if needed.
For the caramelized butternut squash:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the diced squash on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with the olive oil and add salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 30 minutes or until the squash is tender, mixing once after 15 minutes. Let cool.
To make the pizza:
Remove dough from the refrigerator and rest at room temperature for 2 hours.
In a small skillet heat the 1 tablespoon of oil and saute the pancetta and leek until the pancetta begins to brown. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and place a pizza stone on the bottom rack of the oven. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough a few times and form it into a round flat disc. Roll or stretch the dough out in a 15 inch pizza pan or a 13×9 rectangular baking pan .
Spread the sage pesto on the dough and then evenly distribute the caramelized squash, the Fontina cheese, the pancetta and the leek. Place the pan on the pizza stone and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until lightly brown. Remove from the oven and add fresh cracked pepper, Parmigiano Reggiano, and additional nutmeg. Slice and serve immediately.
Fennel, Onion and Italian Sausage Pizza
Ingredients:
- 1 recipe pizza dough, recipe above
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- 1 large fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 8 ounces whole-milk fresh mozzarella cheese, coarsely grated
- Freshly shaved Parmesan cheese
- Chopped fennel fronds, for garnish
Directions:
Remove dough from refrigerator and rest at room temperature for 2 hours. On a lightly floured work surface, gently press the dough into flat disks about 1/2 inch thick and 5 inches in diameter.
At least 45 minutes before making the pizza, place a baking stone on a rack in the lower third of the oven. Heat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Saute crumbled Italian sausage in a skillet until no longer brown. Set aside. In the same skillet heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet. Add onion, thyme, salt and fennel and cook over medium heat until onions are soft and golden and the fennel is tender, about 15 minutes.
On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough a few times and form it into a round flat disc. Roll or stretch the dough out in a 15 inch pizza pan or a 13×9 rectangular baking pan .
Brush the crust with a thin layer of olive oil. Spread with grated mozzarella and top with sausage, the onion and fennel mixture. Season with pepper.
Place the pan on the pizza stone and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until lightly brown.Remove from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Sprinkle with shaved Parmesan and a few fennel fronds. Let rest for 3 to 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
Mushroom, Kale Pizza with Roasted Garlic Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 large head roasted garlic, see recipe below
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 large Portobello mushroom, thinly sliced
- 3 cups torn kale leaves (not tightly packed!)
- 1 prepared pizza crust, at room temperature
- 1 cup shredded fontina or mozzarella cheese
Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place a pizza stone on the bottom rack in the oven.
Remove roasted garlic cloves from their skins and place in small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and mash with fork until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Heat remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushroom slices and cook until softened, 3-5 minutes. Add kale and cook until wilted, about 3 minutes more. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.
Place pizza dough in a 14-15 inch pizza pan and push dough to the edges.
Spread roasted garlic sauce onto the crust, leaving a 1-inch edge on all sides. Top with half of cheese, mushrooms and kale, then remaining cheese.
Transfer pizza pan to the pizza stone. Bake 15-20 minutes or until crust is golden brown and kale is just beginning to crisp.
Roasted Garlic:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Slice off the top of the head of garlic to expose some of the cloves inside. Place the head on a piece of foil. Drizzle with olive oil and wrap in the foil. Roast until the cloves are lightly browned and tender, about 30 minutes.
Roasted Fall Vegetable Pizza
Any combination of roasted vegetables, you like, can work in this recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 small, thin eggplant, sliced thin
- 1 zucchini, halved, sliced thin
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch slices
- 1 red onion, peeled, cut into eighths
- 1 red, yellow or green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
- 1 prepared pizza dough, recipe from above
- 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 3/4 cup ricotta cheese
- Garnish with fresh basil
Directions
Remove dough from the refrigerator. Let stand, covered, for 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss together the first 8 ingredients with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and arrange in a single layer in 2 aluminum foil-lined 15 x 10-inch jelly roll pans.
Bake for 45 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and golden brown.
Turn the oven temperature up to 450 degrees F. Place a pizza stone on the bottom rack of the oven.
Press dough out in a 15-inch pizza pan and coat crust with remaining olive oil.
Sprinkle 1/2 cup mozzarella over the crust and top with roasted vegetables. Sprinkle 1/2 cup mozzarella and crushed red pepper over the vegetable mixture. Place the pan on the pizza stone and bake 10 minutes.
Remove pizza from the oven and dollop the ricotta cheese over the top of the pizza. Return the pizza to the oven and bake 10 more minutes or until the crust is crisp and cheese is melted. Garnish with basil, if desired.
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