Remember that summertime arugula pizza with tomato and squash strewn on top like confetti? Meet her sister pizza. She’s a capricorn like me. More bold, serious and perhaps even more stunning than her summertime counterpart. She knows how to get what she wants.
This pizza was inspired by Food and Wine’s November cover. Did you see it? It had a beautiful butternut focaccia on it. I was completely entranced by those caramelized butternut ribbons in the grocery store checkout line—so much so that I got teased for it—but that cover got my wheels spinning. My subconscious couldn’t let it go, apparently, because this pizza concept materialized a few days ago.
At first, I intended to make kale pesto instead of arugula, but I couldn’t find kale at the grocery store and had arugula already at home. I’m glad, because arugula’s peppery flavor plays nicely with sweet butternut. I’d also intended to use pecans instead of pepitas (green pumpkin seeds), but The Vegetarian Flavor Bible suggested pepitas instead and they’re just perfect here. Plus, that means the pizza is nut free, if you’re making pizza for someone with allergies. Lastly, I couldn’t decide which cheese to use on top, but after a test run with several different cheese on top like a patchwork quilt, goat cheese won by a landslide. Mozzarella or maybe even feta would be tasty substitutions if you don’t love goat cheese like I do. Both the pesto and the dough come together really quickly in the food processor, so you’re looking at an easy gourmet pizza recipe here. Pizza night soon?
(Cookie learned how to climb the three steps up my tabletop-height photography stool yesterday. I’m in for so much trouble.)
Cuisinart 7-cup food processor Y-Shaped Vegetable Peeler ▸ For more of my favorite cooking tools, shop my kitchen essentials!
