Squash Pizza

We had a marvelous Squash Pizza at a new restaurant in Philadelphia. The menu description was interesting: squash, mozzarella cheese, raisins and pine nuts. It sounded good so we ordered it. Delicious!!
It came on a paper thin crispy crust, and the squash was cut up small and almost formed the sauce on the pizza with spots of mozzarella cheese and white raisins and toasted pine nuts.

The first bite was a wonderful explosion of savory and just a touch of sweet from the raisins. What an easy healthy dish for BF! Perfect finger food, veggie, protein and a bit of crunch from the pine nuts. If the size and shape of the pine nut concerns you...just give them a quick smash before you put them on the pizza. Also the raisins can be cut in half.

Squash Pizza
1 cup cubed steamed squash (any squash, butternut, acorn etc)
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1/3 cup white raisins
1/2 lb of sliced or shredded mozzarella cheese
extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
Cornmeal for under the pizza
1 pizza crust (homemade recipe follows)

Peel, cut and cube your squash. Steam or roast in the oven until tender, mash with a fork and set aside. Toast pine nuts in small pan until slightly brown, set aside.

Roll your pizza crust very thin. Spread mashed squash on dough, sprinkle with mozzarella cheese, toss pine nuts and raisins on top. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.

Bake on preheated pizza stone for 10 minutes at 450 or until cheese bubbles. If you do not have a pizza stone, you may bake on a sprayed cookie sheet.

Let cool and cut in wedges.

Homemade Pizza Dough

3/4 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F)
1 envelope active dry yeast
2 cups (or more) organic unbleached flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil

Dissolve yeast in warm water and let sit about 5 minutes.

Place flour, sugar, and salt in mixing bowl. Add water and yeast. Add oil and knead with dough hook unitl smooth...about 4 minutes. Add more flour if needed. Dough should pull away from side of bowl and leave bowl "clean" as it kneads. (if you do not have a dough hook, you may use a food processor, or do it by hand.)

Place dough in greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap and let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. Gently take dough out of bowl and knead a few times. Let sit a few minutes and roll out to desired shape. If dough springs back, let it sit a few minutes and rest and roll again.

Fill as desired and bake. You may also use this recipe to make calzone, rolls and bread sticks!