Pumpkin Pizza
It’s pumpkin season and I’m sure you’re getting pumpkin recipes thrown at you left to right. Most of them are sweet, as we know pumpkin mostly in sweet form, but every now and then we’ll be pleasantly surprised because a delicious savory pumpkin recipe with come at us outta left field. Completely unexpected but totally welcomed. Take this Pumpkin Pizza for instance. It’s savory and it’s out of this world. An easy to make homemade pumpkin pizza sauce is what anchors this entire dish and makes it a bit unforgettable.
I’m not sure if you’re aware, but pumpkin by itself tends to be rather bland actually. I mean, it’s got a little bit of a squash flavor (because it’s a squash), almost nutty, but other than that it’s pretty plain. The sweetness we usually associate it with comes from the sugar and of course pumpkin spice that are mixed into it for pies and cookies and cheesecakes. Because of this, pumpkin lends itself really well to savory dishes, especially this pizza sauce. The toppings like the chorizo, mushrooms, arugula and pumpkin seeds balance everything perfectly with the sauce, making it your new favorite Fall pizza flavor.
Pumpkin Pizza
Equipment
- Rolling Pin
- Pizza stone or pizza pan
- Saucepan
Ingredients
Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup yellow cherry tomatoes sliced
- 3/4 cup pumpkin purée
- 1 cup water or vegetable stock
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional
Pizza:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup sliced Spanish chorizo or Polish kielbasa
- 1 cup sliced crimini mushrooms
- 1 16- ounce pizza dough store-bought or homemade
- 2 tablespoons cornmeal
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- 1/2 cup shredded fontina cheese
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup fresh sage leaves
- 3/4 cup loosely packed fresh arugula
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
Instructions
- For the sauce, place a medium saucepan over median-high heat with 1 tablespoons olive oil. Once hot, add the onions and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cherry tomatoes, cooking until the tomatoes have blistered, another 5 minutes. Add the pumpkin purée and water, and stir until fully combined. Season with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and bring to a simmer. Lower the flame and cook until slightly reduced, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- To prepare the pizza toppings, set a skillet over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Once hot, add the chorizo and cook until brown and crispy, about 5 minutes. Stir in the sliced mushrooms, cooking until also browned, another 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Preheat oven to 475°F. Sprinkle a pizza stone, pizza pan, or baking sheet with cornmeal, set aside.
- Roll the dough out on a lightly floured work surface into about a 1/2-inch thick round circle. Transfer the dough to the prepared pizza stone (or baking pan or baking sheet), and fold the very edge over the top of the pizza to create a thick crust. Spread the center evenly with the pumpkin pizza sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella, fontina and parmesan cheese. Top with the sautéed chorizo, mushrooms and sage leaves. Bake until puffed up, the cheese has melted, and the pizza is golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Top with arugula and pumpkin seeds right before cutting and serving. Enjoy!
