Description
This seasonal pumpkin pizza recipe blends sweet and savory flavors with a homemade or store-bought dough base, roasted pumpkin purée, sautéed pumpkin and apples, and a trio of cheeses including Gruyère, mozzarella, and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Enhanced with fresh sage and scallions, this fall-inspired pizza is both comforting and sophisticated, perfect for cozy dinners or entertaining during the cooler months.
Ingredients
Scale
Pizza Dough
- 1 pound homemade or store-bought pizza dough, divided into two 8-ounce balls
Pumpkin
- 1 small kabocha squash or sugar pumpkin, quartered, seeds discarded
- 1/4 remaining pumpkin quarter, cut into 1/2-inch dice
Oils and Fats
- 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Seasonings
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 pinch ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch grated nutmeg
Fruits and Vegetables
- 2 crisp baking apples such as Golden Delicious, cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh sage leaves, plus 1/4 cup roughly torn leaves, divided
- 2 scallions, white and pale-green parts only, thinly sliced, divided
Cheeses
- 8 ounces shredded Gruyère cheese
- 6 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese
- 2 ounces grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Other
- Flour for dusting
Instructions
- Prepare Dough: Place each ball of pizza dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Set aside to rest while other ingredients are prepared.
- Roast Pumpkin: Adjust oven rack to center and preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Toss 3 pumpkin quarters with 1 tablespoon olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and place on a cast iron skillet or foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Roast for about 45 minutes until tender when poked near the stem. Remove and cool enough to handle.
- Make Pumpkin Purée: Scrape flesh from roasted pumpkin into a large bowl. Add honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Mash with a whisk until roughly pureed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Sauté Pumpkin and Apples: Cut remaining pumpkin quarter into 1/2-inch dice. Melt butter in a large skillet over high heat until foaming subsides. Add diced pumpkin and apples, cooking and stirring frequently until tender and browned—about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and stir in minced sage. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Preheat Grill Setup: Adjust oven rack to top position beneath the broiler and place a baking steel or pizza stone on the rack. Preheat oven to its maximum heat and allow stone to preheat for 30 minutes.
- Shape and Assemble Pizza: Dust a bowl with flour, coat one ball of dough by turning it in the flour, then transfer to a lightly floured wooden pizza peel. Roll or stretch dough into a thin circle. Top with half the Gruyère cheese, half the mozzarella in dollops, and a light sprinkle of Parmesan. Distribute mashed pumpkin in dollops around the cheese, then add half of the sautéed pumpkin and apple mixture. Sprinkle with torn sage leaves and half the white scallion parts. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season lightly with salt.
- Bake Pizza: Turn on broiler to high and carefully transfer pizza onto the preheated baking steel. Bake for about 4 minutes, rotating occasionally, until the crust is puffy and charred around the edges.
- Finish and Serve: Remove pizza from oven, sprinkle with half the pale-green scallions, and serve immediately. Repeat the assembly and baking steps for the second pizza with the remaining dough and toppings.
Notes
- The combination of roasted pumpkin, sweet apples, and fresh sage creates a well-rounded autumnal flavor perfect for pumpkin enthusiasts.
- Using a baking steel or pizza stone under the broiler helps achieve a beautifully charred, crispy crust in a short baking time.
- Ensure to preheat the stone thoroughly to maximize heat retention and even cooking.
- Slicing the mozzarella in dollops instead of spreading evenly helps maintain pockets of creamy cheese texture.
- This recipe makes two pizzas, ideal for serving 3 to 4 people depending on appetite.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 pizza
- Calories: 1012 kcal
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 1889 mg
- Fat: 60 g
- Saturated Fat: 25 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 35 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 80 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 39 g
- Cholesterol: 123 mg
