Squash may not be the first topping you think of for a pizza, but this butternut squash, ricotta, and fried sage pizza is not only delicious, but it’s also a great addition to any festive meal. We’ve swapped the usual tomato sauce base for this recipe, opting instead for a surprising yet satisfying homemade butternut squash purée. Slightly sweet and nutty in flavour, the squash also adds a visually appealing pop of orange colour.
Topping this pizza is whipped ricotta with black pepper and salt, plus fresh mozzarella for an appealing blend of salty and creamy to play against the nutty and sweet squash. And for a finishing touch, we also added fried sage. When you’re in the mood for a lighter pizza that’s still decidedly decadent, this pizza is where it’s at.
YIELD: Four 12-inch (30-centimetre) pizzas
EQUIPMENT
Ooni pizza oven
Ooni Infrared Thermometer
Ooni Dual-Sided Grizzler Plate
Blender
Slotted spoon or strainer
Piping bag (optional)
Ooni Pizza Peel
Ooni Pizza Turning Peel
Ooni Pizza Cutter Wheel
INGREDIENTS
Four 250-gram dough balls
For the butternut squash purée:
1 small butternut squash, about 600 grams
15 grams extra-virgin olive oil
15 grams flaky sea salt
30 grams butter
100 grams heavy cream
For the fried sage:
24 sage leaves (6 leaves per pizza)
100 grams extra-virgin olive oil
For the whipped ricotta:
240 grams ricotta
3 grams black pepper
Salt, to taste
For the pizzas:
Flour, for dusting
240 grams fresh mozzarella
METHOD
For the butternut squash purée:
1. Preheat the oven, aiming for 220 °C (425 °F) on your baking stone. You can check this
quickly, accurately and from a safe distance with an infrared thermometer.
2. Peel the squash and cut it into 1-inch (2 ½-centimetre) cubes and remove the seeds.
Toss with olive oil and salt, then place on a dual-sided grizzler plate (or other cast-iron
dish) and roast until the squash is soft and beginning to brown, about 35 minutes.
Remove from the oven, place in a bowl and set aside.
3. Add the butter and the cream into a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring
occasionally until the butter has melted, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and add
the mixture to the roasted butternut squash.
4. Put the squash into a blender and blend until smooth. Carefully pour the purée into a
bowl and set aside.
Tip: You can make this prior to the day of cooking, as it will keep for 3 days in the fridge.
This will be the pizza base sauce.
For the fried sage:
1. Pick the sage off the stems and set aside. Heat 100 grams of olive oil in a shallow pot
over medium-high heat. When the oil reaches about 175 °C (350 °F) degrees, place the
sage (one leaf at a time) into the pot. Fry the sage until crispy, about 15 to 30 seconds.
Tip: Be sure to have enough oil in the pot so your herbs are not touching the bottom and
place each leaf away from you to avoid splatter.
2. Once cooked, remove the leaves carefully with a slotted spoon or strainer; leave the
leaves to dry and cool on a plate covered with a paper towel.
For the whipped ricotta:
1. Drain the ricotta. Place it in a bowl and add the black pepper and salt to taste.
2. Whip lightly with a fork until blended. Set aside, or place it in a piping bag for topping the pizza after it’s cooked.
For the pizzas:
1. Raise the temperature of your oven, aiming for 450 °C (850 °F) on the pizza stone. You
can check this quickly, accurately and from a safe distance with an infrared thermometer.
2. Place a dough ball on your lightly-floured work surface. Push the air from the centre out
to the edge with your fingers. Stretch the dough out to a 12-inch (30-centimetre) round
base, and then keep your dough on the countertop, or lay the stretched dough over your
lightly-floured pizza peel.
3. With the back of a spoon, evenly spread about 100 grams of squash purée over the
dough. (Note: When spreading the purée, the pressure may cause the dough to stick to
the surface. To avoid this, gently pull at its edges to give it a little pop.) Add ¼ of the
mozzarella.
4. Launch your pizza into the oven. Cook your pizza for 60 to 90 seconds, turning every 20
seconds or so with a pizza peel to ensure an even cook.
5. Remove the pizza from the oven. If using a piping bag, squeeze out little florets onto
each slice and one in the middle for a total of 7. You can also add the ricotta using a
spoon (about 60 grams per pizza).
6. Add a fried sage leaf to each slice (6 leaves or more if you want a more robust flavour).
7. Slice, serve and enjoy! Repeat the steps for the remaining pizzas.
Recipe from Ooni.
