Butternut Squash Flatbread Pizza

A favorite of these Flatbread pizzas is the flexibility they provide to use just about any ingredients.  Here, I use some butternut squash and sage to create a Fall inspired flatbread pizza, but frankly, I’ll make it all year long.  The sweet butternut squash is sliced thin, and then roasted in oven until just tender.  I also fry the sage leaves, which both brings out their flavor, and gives them an awesome crunchy texture.  Finally, holding it all together, I use a bit of goat cheese which provides a great creaminess to the pizza and a tangy bite that offsets the butternut squash.  It’s a perfect combination.  Hope you enjoy it!

Recipe Overview and Keys to Success

For the perfect butternut squash flatbread pizza, just make sure to do the following:

1. Use a thin flatbread; my preference is lavish bread, but naan, or pita also work well
2. Slice the squash very thinly.  A mandolin works well, and roast it in the oven with olive oil, salt and pepper until the rounds are just tender
3. Cook the flatbread pizza on a pizza stone, or heavy sheet, that’s been pre-heating for at least 20 minutes in 450 degree oven
4. Finally, as with frying anything, be careful with the Sage.  Only fill the pan up half way, to ensure the oil doesn’t spill. 

Ingredients

• Butternut squash (you’ll have left over squash, or just double/quadruple the recipe)
• 7 – 10 sage leaves
• 3 ounces goat cheese
• 1/3 cup Olive oil for frying
• Drizzle of Olive oil for pizza
• 2 Pita bread (or lavash, naan) bread

Butternut Squash & Sage Flatbread (2 servings)

• Peel and then thinly slice rounds from the butternut squash (discard and seeds and pulp)
• Toss the rounds in a bowl with some olive oil, salt and pepper and cook in a single layer at 400 degrees until just tender (about 15 – 20 minutes) and then remove to cool
• Preheat your pizza stone at 450 degrees for at least 20 minutes; 45 would be better
• While it pre-heats, heat the 1/3 cup of olive oil in a small sauce pan over medium heat until it reaches about 300 degrees; you can test by dropping in a small piece of sage, and it should bubble/fry, like a French fry
• Get a pair of tongs or slotted spoon ready, and drop in 4 – 5 sage leaves (make sure they are dry), and fry for 20 – 40 seconds
• Remove to a paper towel to dry and repeat until the sage is fried
• Use a bit of a oil for frying to coat the pita bread
• Top with the cooked rounds of butternut squash with each slightly overlapping
• Season with salt and pepper
• Dot the pizza with pieces of the goat cheese all over
• Move into the oven and cook for 7 – 8 minutes until the pita is crisp
• Remove the pizza from the oven, and garnish with the fried sage leaves, and another drizzle of olive oil
• Serve and enjoy!

Wine Recommendation for Butternut Squash Flatbread Pizza

There are a number of good wine pairings with this pizza.  If I’m trying to keep it light, I’d probably go with a dry Riesling or Gewurztraminer.   But a quite floral and will work nicely with the squash.  If you’re looking for something more substantial, you may want to try a Oregon/Washington State Pinot Noir, which tend to be higher in acid than California pinots.