Pizza Calabaza (Roasted Butternut Squash Pizza)

This delicious fall-inspired pizza is loaded with butternut squash and flavored with pesto. The squash provides a sweet contrast to the savory pesto sauce. It’s a tasty and light option for a light autumn lunch!

If you ask me what my favorite vegetable is, squash is my one and only answer! Much like in Africa, where squash reigns supreme, in the Philippines, you’ll often find cooked kalabasa/calabaza on any given day at any family’s table.

Sauteed pork with squash is a cafeteria favorite, and in our house, we have it at least once a week. Sometimes, when we feel like it, we add coconut milk and chili peppers to the mix, and you have the best viand that’s perfect for a hot bowl of rice.

But in this post, I treat the humble squash differently. Instead of cooking it with meat and other veggies, I thought, why not try it as a pizza topping?

I love vegetarian pizzas, so I thought I’d give this one a try. I had to think of what would possibly complement the sweet butternut squash, and the first thing that came to mind was pesto. 

I used some mozzarella for the cheese and then added a few tablespoons of feta cheese since I had them on hand. 

If you don’t have feta cheese, don’t despair. It’s fine without it. Since mozzarella is quite expensive in the Philippines, you can make a Greenwich-style pizza and use cheddar cheese instead. Experiment and see what you can come up with!

My first attempt wasn’t a resounding success—but only because I used the wrong pizza dough. I used a flavored (Italian) one, which made the dish a little too salty and spicy for our liking.

However, I wasn’t about to give up on this idea, so I tried again with plain white pizza dough, and it was so much better. It was really good! You taste the roasted butternut’s sweetness and then the pesto’s saltiness. It’s just a wonderful, sweet-salty combo that my family enjoyed!

So, I suggest just using plain pizza dough for this, and yes, I used a store-bought one. I don’t have the energy nor the inclination to make my own. 🙁 Perhaps I will attempt it shortly, but until then, I will be happy with what I have!

 Ingredients for Pizza Calabaza (Roasted Butternut Squash Pizza)

• 1 Pizza dough (homemade or store-bought, pref. plain/unflavored)
• 2 cups  butternut squash, peeled and cut into thin slices about 1 inch in length
• 1 Tbsp pesto
• 1 1/2 – 2 cups shredded mozarella cheese
• 1/4  cup crumbled Feta cheese (optional)
• Olive oil (1-2 Tbsp)

How to Make Pizza Calabaza (Roasted Butternut Squash Pizza)

Preheat oven to 350F. Place the butternut squash slices in a baking tray. Toss with a little olive oil until coated. You may lightly season it with salt and pepper, but that’s entirely up to you. Roast the squash for about 12-15 minutes or until it is tender. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Adjust the oven temperature as stated in the pizza manufacturer’s instructions (usually between 400F-450F).

In the meantime, prepare the pizza dough by spreading the pesto all over it. 

Sprinkle the cheese/s on top, leaving about a 1-inch border.

Top with the roasted butternut squash.

Cook according to the pizza manufacturer’s instructions or just until the cheese is melted and the top is nicely browned.

Enjoy with some salad on the side. Perfect for lunch or a light dinner.

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Pizza Calabaza (Roasted Butternut Squash Pizza)

Manila Spoon

This delicious fall-inspired pizza is loaded with butternut squash and flavored with pesto. The squash provides a sweet contrast to the savory pesto sauce. It’s a tasty and light option for a light autumn lunch!

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine American

Servings 8 slices

Calories 220 kcal

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

US CustomaryMetric

• 1 pack Pizza dough, homemade or store-bought, pref. plain/unflavored
• 2 cups butternut squash, peeled and cut into thin slices about 1 inch in length
• 1 Tablespoon pesto, or to taste
• 1 1/2 cups (up to 2 cups) mozarella cheese, shredded
• 1/4 cup crumbled Feta cheese, optional
• 1 Olive oil, or to taste

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350F. Place the butternut squash slices in a baking tray. Toss with a little olive oil until coated. You may lightly season it with salt and pepper, but that’s entirely up to you. Roast the squash for about 12-15 minutes or until it is tender. Remove from the oven and set aside.
  
• Adjust the oven temperature as stated in the pizza manufacturer’s instructions (usually between 400F-450F).
• In the meantime, prepare the pizza dough by spreading the pesto all over it.
  
• Sprinkle the cheese/s on top, leaving about a 1-inch border.
  
• Top with the roasted butternut squash.
  
• Cook according to the pizza manufacturer’s instructions or just until the cheese is melted and the top is nicely browned.
  
• Enjoy with some salad on the side. Perfect for lunch or a light dinner.
  

Nutrition

Calories: 220kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 10gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 557mgPotassium: 142mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 3920IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 149mgIron: 2mg

Keyword butternut squash pizza, winter suqash pizza

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Last updated on August 27th, 2024 at 04:06 pm