Sage Pesto and Butternut Squash Pizza

By blum099

Ingredients

• Sage pesto:
• One prepared pizza dough, see above, or your favorite pizza dough
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons sage pesto (recipe follows)
• 3/4 cup caramelized butternut squash (recipe follows)
• 2 ounces Fontina cheese, shredded
• 4 thin slices of pancetta cut into bite size pieces
• 1 leek (white part only), halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4 inch slices
• Fresh cracked pepper to taste
• Grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
• Freshly grated nutmeg to taste
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 cup loosely packed fresh sage leaves
• 1/4 cup loosely packed parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Caramelized butternut squash:
• 1/2 small butternut squash cut into 1/2 inch dice
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Details

Adapted from jovinacooksitalian.com

Preparation

Step 1

For the sage pesto:

Combine the walnuts, sage, parsley, salt and nutmeg in the bowl of a food processor and pulse 10 to 15 times to break up the walnuts and herbs somewhat. With the processor running, slowly pour in the olive oil. Process until smooth. Taste and add additional salt, if needed.

For the caramelized butternut squash:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the diced squash on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with the olive oil and add salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 30 minutes or until the squash is tender, mixing once after 15 minutes. Let cool.

To make the pizza:

Remove dough from the refrigerator and rest at room temperature for 2 hours.

In a small skillet heat the 1 tablespoon of oil and saute the pancetta and leek until the pancetta begins to brown. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and place a pizza stone on the bottom rack of the oven. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough a few times and form it into a round flat disc. Roll or stretch the dough out in a 15 inch pizza pan or a 13x9 rectangular baking pan .

Spread the sage pesto on the dough and then evenly distribute the caramelized squash, the Fontina cheese, the pancetta and the leek. Place the pan on the pizza stone and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until lightly brown. Remove from the oven and add fresh cracked pepper, Parmigiano Reggiano, and additional nutmeg. Slice and serve immediately.