Caramelized Onion, Butternut Squash and Crispy Kale Pizza
The chill in the air has us craving heartier flavors. Autumn brings a wealth of new options to inspire, such as butternut squash, sage, and kale–all found in the following recipe. Influenced by the amazing Tieghan, at Half Baked Harvest, we have a new go-to fall pizza. From the pomegranate arils, ribbons of roasted butternut squash to the base of caramelized onions and mascarpone, there was so much depth to each bite. We finished it in minutes.
½ pound pizza dough, homemade or store-bought
1 tablespoon Della Pace extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
kosher salt and pepper
3 tablespoons mascarpone
1 cup shredded Italian blend cheeses
2 cups shredded Tuscan kale
½ small butternut squash, cut into ribbons using a vegetable peeler
8 fresh sage leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon honey, plus more for serving
1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
8 ounces fresh buffalo mozzarella or mozzarella, torn
½ cup pomegranate arils
Considerations: add ground Italian sausage for the meat lovers
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Grease a large baking sheet with Della Pace olive oil.
2. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over high heat. When shimmering, add the onions and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until softened. Season with salt and pepper and continue cooking until the onions are golden and caramelized. Remove from the heat and let cool.
3. On a lightly floured surface, push/roll the dough out to taste. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet.
4. Spread the dough with mascarpone and top evenly with caramelized onions. Add the Italian cheese blend and then layer the kale and butternut squash ribbons over the cheese. Sprinkle over the sage, drizzle with honey, and season with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Top with torn mozzarella.
5. Transfer to the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until the crust is golden and the cheese has melted.
6. Top the pizza with pomegranates. Serve drizzled with honey and Della Pace olive oil.
