Acorn Squash & Gorgonzola Pizza w/Arugula

“When you’re done eating one of these things, you think to yourself, ‘man, I could really go for a pizza'” Paul told me after showing me his copy of the William-Sonoma Pizza Cookbook.

Paul’s tongue & cheek comment made me think–if William-Sonoma could put out an entire cookbook advertising “pizza” as something other than cheese, crust, and sauce, then what actually qualifies as pizza? And why are dishes that are pizza-esque in nature but absent of these three things so unsatisfying?

Here’s the rub.  Pizza is typically acknowledge as bread + sauce + cheese and cooked until golden brown.  It can have a perfectly thin crust, a bready thick one, but as long as it has red sauce and cheese, we know it’s pizza.

But Pizza is so different today–especially with celebrity chefs putting their own spins on what would be basic pizza recipes.  Pizza no longer demands red sauce–you can use pesto, a white cheese or ranch-inspired sauce, or no sauce at all–and it certainly doesn’t demand just mozzarella or pepperoni.

Pizza–that classic American favorite and Italian pie–can be anything, really anything.  So long as there’s cheese and a crust.

Thus, I’d like to introduce Clearly Delicious readers to this surprisingly unpizza-like pizza.  One topped with Acorn Squash & Arugula, and cooked down with melted Gorgonzola Cheese and Mozzarella.

This pie is so completely unlike any pizza I have ever had, I found myself mystified while eating it–the warm gooey cheese mixed with a traditional pizza crust was satisfying, but the sweet and spicy acorn squash and arugula was the most unlikely, sweet and savory combo I have ever had.

If you’re one for adventure and stepping outside of your pizza pan, this unique take on pizza is for you.

But, if you’re more like Paul, then you may still want a pizza.

Acorn Squash & Gorgonzola Pizza w/Arugula

This recipe comes from Giada De Laurentiis, but I came across it over at Smitten Kitchen.

Ingredients:

* 1 (1-lb) acorn squash

* 2 tablespoons maple syrup (I use Maine Maple Syrup)

* 1 tablespoon olive oil

* 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

* 1/4 teaspoon salt

* 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

* 1 cup shredded mozzarella

* 1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola

* 1 cup arugula

* 1-lb pizza dough

1.) Preheat oven to 375F.

2.) Half squash and remove seeds.  Slice the squash from top to bottom so that you have half-moon shaped pieces that are about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch wide (1 inch will be too thick).  Repeat until the entire squash is cut.

3.) In a separate bowl, combine squash marinade: syrup, olive oil, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.  Toss squash in mixture.

3.) Place squash on a greased baking sheet and spread out.  Allow to roast for 20-25 minutes, or until squash is golden and somewhat tender.

4.) Allow squash to rest for a few minutes and when cool enough to the touch, peel off dark green skin.

5.) Prepare pizza: roll out pizza dough on a well flour surface and transfer to baking stone with corn meal.

6.) Lightly cover pizza dough in olive oil and puncture pizza dough for baking.  Cover pizza dough in half-moon shaped squash.

7.) Top with fresh arugula (you can skip this step and add after the pizza is cooked, but I prefer the arugula to cook down).

8.) Top with mozzarella and gorgonzola cheese.  Do not salt and pepper top–the ingredients are flavorful enough that your recipe is going to require no doctoring.

9.) Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until dough is done and the topping is golden brown.  Enjoy! Makes 4-6 servings.