Fall brings us lots of hearty, nourishing toppings for pizza. If the chill in the air has you wanting to turn out some cool weather pizzas, think apples, butternut squash, sage, kale, mushrooms, cauliflower and figs for something different. Roasting vegetables first, makes them even tastier.
Roasted Fall Vegetables
Ingredients
- 2 pounds (about 1 medium) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 pounds small red new potatoes (12 to 14), well scrubbed and quartered
- 1 pound medium red onions (about 2 to 3), peeled and quartered
- 1 pound carrots (6 to 8 medium), halved lengthwise, if thick, and cut into 1 1/2-inch lengths
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Coarse salt and ground pepper
Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Toss the vegetables and garlic in a bowl with the oil, salt and pepper.
Divide the vegetables and garlic evenly between two rimmed baking sheets. Roast until the vegetables are tender and beginning to brown, 40 to 50 minutes, tossing them and rotating the sheets from top to bottom, halfway through cooking.
Fall Vegetable and Ricotta Pizza
Ingredients
- Olive oil, for the baking sheet and drizzling
- Flour, for dusting surface
- 1 pound homemade or store-bought pizza dough, at room temperature
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated (about 2 cups)
- 6 cups (about 1/2 of the recipe above) Roasted Fall Vegetables, drained and coarsely chopped
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves
- Coarse salt and ground pepper
Directions
Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. Brush a large baking sheet (preferably rimless) with oil.
On a lightly floured surface, roll and stretch the dough into a 12-by-16-inch oval (or as large as will fit on your baking sheet); transfer the dough to the pan.
Sprinkle dough with half the mozzarella. Scatter vegetables on top and drop tablespoons of the ricotta on top; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and rosemary.
Drizzle with olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Bake until bubbling and golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Rest five minutes and cut into serving portions.
Pizza with Zucchini and Fresh Herbs
Sometimes I add a sliced red onion to the roasting pan with the zucchini and add it to the pizza.
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 1 lb homemade or store-bought pizza dough, at room temperature
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 large zucchini, sliced into thin rounds
- Juice of 2 large lemons, divided
- Fresh parsley, chopped
- Fresh thyme leaves
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil
Directions
For the zucchini:
Heat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place the zucchini rounds in a bowl. Reserve a tablespoon of the lemon juice for the finished pizza and squeeze the remainder over the zucchini, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. With your hands rub the mixture into the zucchini rounds in the bowl.
Then place them on the prepared baking sheet and roast in the oven for about 10-12 minutes, until soft.
For the pizza:
Turn the oven up to 500 °F. If using a pizza stone, allow the stone to heat in the oven for 30 minutes before baking on it.
Stretch out the pizza dough round onto a pizza peel dusted with flour or onto a cookie sheet or pizza pan (if not using a pizza stone).
Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top of the pizza dough and place the roasted zucchini evenly on top of the cheese. Drizzle with olive oil.
Sprinkle the fresh Parmesan cheese directly over the top and slide the prepared pizza into the oven.
Bake for about 8-10 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbling if using a pizza stone. A pizza pan will take longer, 15-20 minutes.
Remove the pizza from the oven, garnish with freshly chopped parsley, thyme, a grind of black pepper and the reserved tablespoon of lemon juice.
Deep Dish Mushroom Pizza
Serves 8
Ingredients
- 1 lb homemade or store-bought pizza dough, at room temperature
- 8 ounces Fontina Valle d’Aosta, fontina, provolone or mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
- 2 large sweet onions (such as Vidalia or Walla Walla), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cups assorted sliced mushrooms (such as shiitake, oyster, cremini, chanterelle, morel and/or button)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons snipped fresh rosemary
- Snipped fresh parsley
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degree F. Stretch the pizza dough across the bottom and up the sides of an oiled 13 x 9 x 1 inch baking pan. Arrange cheese slices on top of the dough in the pan.
In a large skillet, cook onions, covered, in 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-low heat for 13 to 15 minutes or until the onions are tender, stirring occasionally. Uncover; cook and stir over medium-high heat for 5 to 8 minutes more or until onions are golden. Remove the onions from the pan and set aside.
In the same skillet, combine mushrooms, remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, the garlic and rosemary. Cook over medium heat until the mushrooms are tender; drain well. Spoon mushroom mixture over the cheese on the pizza dough. Top with the onions.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until the crust bottom is slightly crisp and brown.
Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley. Cut the pizza into 3-inch squares and serve immediately.
Sausage, Fennel and Ricotta Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 lb pizza dough, at room temperature
- 8 oz Italian sausage, casing removed
- 1 cup thinly sliced fennel bulb
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (chili)
- Salt and pepper
Directions
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
Stretch the dough to fit an oiled 14-15 inch pizza pan.
Heat in a skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil and sausage, cook until the sausage is lightly browned. Break the sausage into large pieces. Remove to a paper towel lined plate.
Add the sliced fennel and cook until the fennel is tender.
Mix together the ricotta and garlic.
Separate the red onion slices and spread over the pizza dough along with the fennel seeds and the crushed red pepper. Top with spoonfuls of the ricotta and the sausage pieces. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
Bake for 20 minutes, until golden.
Antipasto Pizza
Makes: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 1 lb pizza dough at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large onions, sliced in strips
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 4 ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and sliced in strips
- 16 ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained and sliced in strips
- 2 small to medium tomatoes, sliced into thin rounds
- 1 cup sliced black olives
- 1/2 cup of crumbled feta
Directions
Place a pizza stone or invert a heavy baking sheet on the rack of your oven. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
In a large skillet heat the oil over medium heat. Cook the onions in hot oil about 10 minutes, until translucent. Stir in sugar and balsamic vinegar; cook until the juices bubble. Transfer the onions to a strainer set over a bowl. Drain for 3 minutes. Return the drained juices to the skillet. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes until the mixture turns into the consistency of honey. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the cooked onions to skillet and stir to coat, then set aside.
For the pizza:
Stretch the dough into a circle that fits on a pizza peel (pizza-size spatula) or a rimless cookie sheet dusted with flour.
Top the dough with the onion mixture then arrange the artichokes, peppers, sliced tomatoes and olives on top. Sprinkle with feta cheese.
Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the toppings bubble and the pizza edges are golden brown. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing.
You can also bake the pizza in a regular 14-15 inch pizza pan and cook the pizza for 10 minutes longer.
