Two Homemade Fall Pizzas

Whenever I go back to Colorado Springs to see my family I always try to find time to make a delicious meal for everyone.  My reasoning for this is three fold:
1. I love cooking...that is a given
2. My Mom usually purchases the groceries and I can't say I mind cooking on someone else's dollar...  Thanks Mom!
3. You should see my parents' kitchen.  My Mom had her midlife crisis in the form of changing her entire kitchen and she did a great job with the new design.  The drawers close on their own, the fridge beeps at you if you leave it open, she has a warming drawer (ideal for holiday meals) AND she is a lady with a deep and sincere love for appliances and gadgets.  Can't go wrong with any of that!

So, the last time I was home we went with two recipes my Mom found for pizza: roasted root vegetable pizza and zucchini and summer squash pizza.  Both were good, but the easiest of the two was the zucchini and summer squash and ended up being the family favorite by far.  I literally made my Mom double check the recipe to make sure we had done everything because it was just too easy to be true.

Don't be fooled.  Neither pizza is a pizza as you would typically imagine.  No red sauce here!  But I promise if you are a fan of vegetables, particularly those of the fall variety, you will be pleased.

Zucchini and Summer Squash Pizza (From William Sonoma)

Ingredients:

• 1 green zucchini, sliced 3/16 inch thick
• 1 yellow zucchini, sliced 3/16 inch thick
• 1 Tbs. Parmesan dipping and drizzling oil, plus more for brushing
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• Two 10-inch pizza dough round, homemade or store bought
•   6 oz. mozzarella cheese, grated
• 1/2 lemon
• 1 oz. ricotta salata or goat cheese
• 6 large fresh basil leaves, minced

 

 

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 475 degress.
• In a bowl, stir together the green and yellow zucchini, the 1 Tbs. oil, salt and pepper. Let stand for 5 minutes, then drain off the excess liquid.
• Place 1 pizza dough round on a floured surface (ideally a pizza board). Lightly brush the dough with oil. Sprinkle 2oz. of the mozzarella on the dough and top with half of the zucchini and then sprinkle one more ounce of the mozzarella on top.
• Transfer the pizza to the oven, tapping the peel lightly to release the pizza. Bake until the cheese has melted and the crust is golden, 8 to 10 minutes, rotating the pizza occasionally to ensure even browning.
• Transfer the pizza to a cutting board and squeeze a few drops of lemon juice over the pizza. Grate or crumble half of the ricotta salata over the pizza and sprinkle with half of the basil. Cut into slices and serve immediately. 
• Repeat to cook the remaining pizza. Makes two 10-inch pizzas.

Roasted Root Vegetable Pizza (From Martha Stewart)

Serves 4 
Ingredients

• Olive oil
• 1 pound homemade pizza dough or store-bought pizza dough, fresh or frozen (thawed)
• 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (2 cups)
• 6 cups (about 1/2 recipe) Roasted Root Vegetables
• We used a small butternut squash, chopped
• 2 small red onions, cut into sixths and layers separated
• 6 small carrots cut lengthwise and into 1 inch chunks
• 1 small acorn squash, chopped
• 5 small red potatoes cut into sixths 
• *Note - potatoes on pizzas seems weird, I know...but it is delicious!
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary (optional)
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Brush a large rimless baking sheet with oil. Gently stretch dough into 12-by-16-inch oval (or as large as will fit on baking sheet); transfer to prepared sheet.
2. Sprinkle dough evenly with half the mozzarella. Scatter vegetables on top, then dollop with ricotta; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and the rosemary, if desired. Drizzle with oil; season with salt and pepper. Bake rotating sheet from top to bottom and front to back halfway through, until crust is golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

I must give my Mom credit for these pizzas as she did most of the work making the dough and getting the pizzas in and out of the oven.  I may have bitten off more than I could chew that weekend with work, school, and being able to function in general, so thank you Mom for a delicious meal!

Bon Appetit!