If this isn’t a seasonal dish I don’t know what is. I’ve been on a squash kick so naturally I had to use butternut in some capacity, because nothing beats that buttery, soft texture.
I came up with the idea to make beetroot pizza sauce after watching “Nadiya’s Time to Eat” on Netflix where she made a beet-type pesto sauce for a pasta dish. Genius!
The colors in this pizza are unbeatable, especially with that purple base. I also made this vegetarian because I wanted the focus to be on the vegetables and cheese.
I did make my own pizza dough, but you don’t have to. I have to give credit to Half Baked Harvest for her no-knead pizza dough recipe – it’s amazing and I have used it so many times. I wouldn’t change it at all so I’m not going to. I’ll put it below in the description because I don’t think it’s on her website.
This pizza is an ideal centerpiece for a Fall dinner and pairs great with salad and maybe some cider!
What you need: two baking sheets, a rolling pin, a food processor, a sharp knife and a cutting board
Time: 40 minutes plus 20 more to bake the pizza
Makes: 1 big fat pizza! Can definitely feed 4-6 people
Ingredients for the Pizza Dough:
- 3 cups of all purpose flour (plus more as needed)
- 2 teaspoons of instant yeast
- 2 teaspoons of salt
- 1 12-oz beer (I use a Budweiser typically)
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
Ingredients for the beetroot sauce:
- 5 or 6 raw beets, chopped (skin can stay on)
- 1/3 cup of grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup of skim milk ricotta
- 1/2 cup of olive oil
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- Juice of 1 lemon
For the rest of the pizza:
- 1 medium butternut squash
- 1 large handful of arugula plus more for topping
- 1/2 mozzarella ball, torn
- 1/3 cup of white cheddar cheese, grated
- Everything But the Bagel spice for topping
- 3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil
Directions:
To make the pizza dough, make sure to prepare this the night before or the morning before you plan to make the pizza to give the dough time to rise. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, yeast, and salt. Add the beer and olive oil and mix with a big spoon until combined. Note: if your dough is very wet still, add more flour, a few tablespoons at a time. It is okay if the dough is still a bit sticky. Cover with plastic wrap and set on the counter. If you make it the night before, place in the fridge overnight and take out in the morning.
When you’re ready to make the pizza, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove the tops of the beets and any super fibrous edges. Chop into small chunks and place on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper. Roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until a knife sinks easily into the beet. Remove from the oven and let cool.
While the beets are roasting, begin slicing the butternut squash, removing all the skin before chopping the inside into small, square chunks. When done, place the squash on another foil lined baking sheet and place in the oven (below or above the beets if they coincide) for about 25-30 minutes until softened and slightly browned. Remove from the oven and let cool.
When the beets are cool enough to work with, place all of them in the food processor along with the lemon juice, parmesan, ricotta, red pepper flakes, and olive oil. Pulse until smooth and no chunks remain.
To assemble the pizza, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Flour your work surface generously and dump the risen pizza dough onto the table. You may need to work in some additional flour into the pizza dough to make it less sticky, up to 1/2 cup more (just use your hands). Then use the rolling pin to roll out the dough until it’s about 1/4 inch thick.
Carefully, transfer the pizza dough to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and smooth out any holes. Then, spoon the beet mixture onto the pizza, creating an even layer but leaving some room around the edges for a crust. You may have some beet mixture leftover. Then, sprinkle the cheddar evenly on the pizza along with the butternut squash, followed by the handful of arugula and the torn mozzarella. Sprinkle on the bagel seasoning to your liking (or use salt and pepper).
Transfer the pizza to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the pizza crust feels firm and crisp and the arugula has shriveled. Remove from the oven and let cool.
In the meantime, mix a couple more handfuls of arugula in a bowl with the balsamic vinegar and olive oil. This creates a vibrant salad-type mixture that can be sprinkled on top at the end. This can be omitted if you’d prefer.
Cut and enjoy! Store leftovers in an airtight container and eat within three days.
