Delicata Squash Pizza
This Delicata Squash Pizza starts with sourdough crust, a garlicky ricotta and parmesan base, roasted delicata half moons, red onion and crispy sage. It’s a fall pizza that bakes in a home oven or a pizza oven.
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This Delicata Squash Pizza starts with a garlicky ricotta base. It’s topped with roasted delicata squash, red onion and fresh sage leaves that crisp up in the oven. Delicata’s thin skin is edible, so there’s no peeling. Just slice, give it a quick roast and let it finish cooking on the pizza.
I’ve been building this pizza on my Sourdough Pizza Dough. It makes two crusts, so one batch covers this recipe. The dough works after an overnight rest in the fridge. But about 36 hours of cold fermentation gives you the best flavor and the easiest stretch.
If you don’t have sourdough starter, use my Overnight Pizza Dough or store-bought dough. Bake it on a pizza steel or stone in a home oven, or use an Ooni for a blistered, crisp-edged crust.
Delicata Squash Pizza
Ingredients
For the squash
- 1 delicata squash
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For the ricotta sauce
- 1 cup ricotta, about half a 15-ounce container
- ¼ cup grated parmesan
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For the pizza
- 1 batch Sourdough Pizza Dough, divided into 2 balls, at room temperature
- Olive oil, for brushing
- 1 ½ to 2 cups shredded mozzarella, divided
- ½ small red onion, thinly sliced
- 12 to 16 fresh sage leaves
- 2 teaspoons olive oil, for the sage
For serving
- Grated parmesan, to taste
- Olive oil, for drizzling
- Cracked black pepper or red pepper flakes, optional
Instructions
- Place a pizza steel or stone on the middle rack and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Slice the delicata in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Slice into ¼-inch half moons.
- Toss the squash with olive oil, salt and pepper and spread on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 10 minutes, just until the squash starts to soften.
- Increase the oven to 550 degrees F and let the steel or stone heat for at least 30 minutes.
- While the oven heats, whisk together the ricotta, parmesan, olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper. In a separate small bowl, toss the sage leaves with 2 teaspoons olive oil.
- Stretch one dough ball into a round and brush with olive oil. Spread half the ricotta sauce over the top, leaving a border for the crust.
- Sprinkle with a scant ¾ to 1 cup mozzarella. Top with half the squash, red onion and sage leaves.
- Bake for about 10 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and the crust is crisp at the edges with a good chew. Note that bake time is dependent on what pizza stone or pan you use and the thickness of the dough.
- Finish with grated parmesan, a drizzle of olive oil and cracked pepper or red pepper flakes.
- Let the steel or stone reheat for a few minutes, then repeat with the second dough ball.
Notes
- Oil the sage leaves. A light coating of olive oil helps the sage crisp in the oven instead of burning.
- Par-roast the squash. Delicata won’t cook through in a short, high-heat bake on its own. The 10-minute roast softens it so it finishes on the pizza.
- No need to peel. Delicata skin is thin and tender once roasted.
- Ooni Volt 12 or similar indoor pizza oven: Bake at 650 to 700 degrees F for 3 to 4 minutes, rotating halfway through.
- Ooni Koda 16 or similar outdoor pizza oven: Bake at 750 to 850 degrees F for 90 seconds to 2 minutes, rotating once. Watch the sage closely at this heat.
- The ricotta sauce can be mixed and refrigerated up to 2 days ahead.
- Plan ahead for the dough, which needs an overnight cold ferment. It’s even better at 36 hours, so plan ahead.
- Dough shortcut: Store-bought pizza dough works if you don’t have a sourdough starter. Bring it to room temperature before stretching.
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