Merry Christmas! As a self-proclaimed foodie, one of the things that I love most about this time of year is the opportunity to get together with friends and family over great meals. I wanted to take this opportunity to share with you one of my all time favorite recipes. As is probably evident, I love pizza. A few years ago I was watching Giada on the food network and she was making the recipe below. It looked so good that as soon as the episode was over, I put my shoes and coat on, walked to the grocery store, bought all of the ingredients and immediately made this pizza. It is phenomenal! I realize that initially the ingredients may sound a bit odd, but the flavors come together to make one of the greatest combinations I have ever tasted. My suggestion is to not alter or leave out any ingredients. Each one plays a crucial role and works just right with the other ingredients. Recipe and photo below from the
Food Network.
Ingredients
• 1 (1- pound) acorn squash
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus 1/4 teaspoon
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1/4 teaspoon
• 1 pound pizza dough
• 1 cup shredded whole milk mozzarella
• 1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola
• 1 cup arugula
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Slice the squash in half from top to bottom. Scoop out the seeds. Slice the squash into 1/2 to 3/4-inch wide half moons and place in a medium bowl. Toss the squash with the syrup, olive oil, red pepper flakes, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place the squash on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake the squash until tender and golden, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Keep the temperature on the oven at 375 degrees F. Roll out the pizza dough on a flour dusted piece of parchment paper to a 13-inch diameter. Place the pizza and the parchment paper on a baking sheet. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese and the Gorgonzola on the pizza dough. Bake in the oven until golden and cooked through, about 25 to 30 minutes.
Peel the skins off the squash. Top the cooked pizza with the cooked squash. Top with arugula and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Slice and serve.
