pizza love

I miss Medusa Stone Fired Pizza in Asbury Park. While they had their standard pizza offerings, it was their seasonal pizzas that really really appealed to me. Recently my son-law-sent me a recipe from the website “The Pioneer Woman” for White Pizza with Butternut Squash and Prosciutto. Occasionally I enjoy eating something other than a pizza with red sauce and mozzarella. This savory pie sounded very appealing and takes advantage of the new crop of squash.
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For the recipe you’ll need a small butternut squash, sprig of rosemary, olive oil, kosher salt, black pepper, pizza dough, whole milk mozzarella, pecorino Romano cheese, whole milk ricotta and thinly sliced prosciutto.  I made a few adjustments to Ms. Drummond’s recipe. First, I make my own pizza dough. Instead of butternut squash, I used delicata squash that I picked at Matt’s Farm Market in Belmar. You can eat the skin and they are much smaller than butternut squash. The squash is cut into half moons, tossed with olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper. I decided to mince the rosemary instead of using it as a sprig. Next, it is par baked before going on top of the pizza. 

To assemble the pizza, you sprinkle shredded mozzarella and pecorino Romano as the base. The ricotta cheese is seasoned with salt and pepper then dropped by spoonfuls on top. The squash is  scattered on top, but make sure some of the ricotta is visible, make clusters out of the prosciutto and place on top. 

The pizza bakes in the oven for 20-25 minutes. However, I’ve been using my Weber Grill and a wooden pizza peel for years to make pizza. I preheat the grill until it reaches 500°; when ready, I lower the middle burner and place the pizza on the grill. The pizza  is cooked until the underside its light brown, with a bit of charring. 

This autumnal pizza was delicious and it had the perfect balance of flavors. The cheeses were creamy and the squash added a bit of sweetness against the saltiness of the prosciutto. Thank you to my son-in-law for finding such a great recipe. Check my website for other fall recipes using apples, pumpkin, squash and cranberries.

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White Pizza with Butternut Squash and Prosciutto
By Ree Drummond, “The Pioneer Woman”
Published May 28, 2020
Yield: 4-6 Servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour


Ingredients 
1 small butternut squash, peeled and halved lengthwise, seeded and thinly sliced into half-moons
1 sprig rosemary 
2 tbsp. olive oil 
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
Black pepper, to taste
1 1/2 lb. refrigerated pizza dough, at room temperature
2 c. shredded whole-milk mozzarella cheese
1/4 c. grated pecorino cheese
1 c. whole-milk ricotta cheese
4 oz. thinly sliced prosciutto, torn into pieces


Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 500˚. Combine the squash, rosemary, olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper on a rimmed baking sheet. Toss to coat, then spread the squash in a single layer. Roast until just tender but not completely cooked through (the squash will finish cooking on the pizza), about 10 minutes. Remove the squash to a plate; discard the rosemary.
2. Let the baking sheet cool for 5 minutes, then stretch the pizza dough on the pan with your fingers until it reaches the edges. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and pecorino.
3. Combine the ricotta with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a medium bowl.
4. Dollop the ricotta all over the pizza. Scatter the butternut squash on top of the cheese, making sure that some of the ricotta is showing through. Gather the prosciutto into clusters and scatter over the pizza.
5. Bake until the cheese is melted and starting to turn brown in spots and the dough is completely cooked through and golden brown around the edges, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before slicing.

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