Best with Organic Cooked Beets

Fall Pizza with Butternut Squash, Beets, and Kale

Prep Time: 20 min + 1 hour rest time // Cook Time: 15 min Servings: 3 to 4

What to do

Pizza Dough

  1. Pour warm water into a large mixing bowl along with the yeast. Stir well to dissolve the yeast, and let it stand until yeast is very fragrant – about 5-8 minutes.
  2. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, sea salt, rosemary, and thyme.
  3. Pour half the flour mixture into the bowl with the yeast mixture and stir until well combined.
  4. Pour in the remaining half and continue stirring until dough forms. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead until a smooth dough ball forms, adding flour a tablespoon at a time if necessary.
  5. Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl. Coat the dough with 2-3 tablespoons of oil. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and place in a  warm spot in your house. All dough to sit until it has doubled in volume – about 1 hour.

Note: dough can be made up to two days in advance and stored in plastic wrap in the refrigerator. If you have a stand mixer, you can use the mixer with the dough hook attachment to prepare the dough.

Pizza Toppings

  1. While the dough is rising. you can prepare the pizza toppings.
  2. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spread butternut squash over a baking sheet and drizzle with enough olive oil to coat the full surface of all of the squash. Sprinkle with sea salt and Italian seasoning. Bake for 10 minutes, flip, and bake for an additional 5 minutes or until butternut squash is golden brown and soft.
  3. Add butter to a  large skilled and heat to medium. Add the garlic and sauté, stirring frequently, until very fragrant – about two minutes. Add the chopped kale leaves, cover, and cook until leaves have wilted (about 2-3 minutes). Stir well to coat the kale in garlic and butter.

Bring It All Together

  1. Increase the oven temperature to 425°F and spread a small amount of flour or corn meal over a baking sheet or pizza stone.
  2. Roll out the pizza dough on a floured surface and transfer to the prepared baking sheet.
  3. Pre-bake the dough with no toppings for 8-12 minutes or until the edges begin to lightly brown.
  4. Evenly spread the sautéed kale over the crust. Layer with roasted butternut squash, beets, and ricotta cheese. Sprinkle sea salt an Italian seasoning over the pizza and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the ricotta begins to brown and the crust begins to crisp.
  5. Allow pizza to sit for 10 minutes before cutting into large pieces and serving.

What you’ll Need

Pizza Dough

3/4 cup lukewarm water (100-155°F)

1 (.25 ounce) pouch of active dry yeast

2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1 1/2 teaspoons cane sugar or agave nectar

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon fresh or dried rosemary

2 tablespoons fresh thyme, coarsely chopped

2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil

Pizza Toppings 

1/2 small butternut squash, cut into 1/4 to 1/2-inch pieces

3 tablespoons butter

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 head kale

1 cup ricotta cheese

2 large Love Beets Organic Cooked Beets, sliced

1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning

Sea salt to taste