Honeynut Squash, Pear, & Caramelized Onion Pizza with Cashew Ricotta
A delicious meal for autumn, or really anytime of the year, this pizza starts off with homemade cashew ricotta and is then loaded with some seriously amazing toppings. It is a beautiful balance of both flavour and texture, bringing together sweet, savoury, creamy, and crunchy for the perfect pizza experience!
Squash season continues in our small kitchen, and today we’ve got a special recipe for you. You loved our Stuffed Acorn Squash so much, so we thought we’d come at with you another gorgeous squash creation. This recipe is perfect for any occasion and will definitely impress family and friends. While it features many seasonal ingredients, you’ll be making this one all year ’round. Luckily it’s becoming easier to find typically out-of-season produce at all times, so hopefully, you’ll be able to source everything out when the craving hits. Wondering what makes this pizza so unique? We searched far and wide and ended up at a farm in the Niagara Region for this pizza’s star ingredient.
YESS, we finally got our hands on the highly coveted designer squash, HONEYNUT. The honeynut squash is a mix between butternut and buttercup and has been gaining popularity over the last few years. It is cuter than it’s parent squash, the humble butternut, and it’s much more vibrant in colour and significantly sweeter in taste. The burst of orange and sweeter flavour makes the perfect topping for this pizza. Since honeynut squash can be a challenge to find, this recipe still checks out with butternut squash, especially when combined with the rest of the pizza’s delicious toppings.
Our ricotta is soft and silky, and incredibly versatile. It serves as the base, a topping, and the dip for this pizza, but don’t stop there. Use this simple ricotta as a spread on sandwiches and wraps, mix it into tomato sauce for a rosé pasta dream, or dollop it onto a salad. This pizza wouldn’t be complete without Caramelized Balsamic Onions, and for more seasonal touches, we added thinly sliced pear for sweetness and pumpkin seeds for crunch.
We highly recommend you elevate this za with our Homemade Herby Dough, but we get that not everyone has time, so any pizza dough will work. No matter what, each bite you take is packed with the ultimate flavour trifecta; sweet, savoury, and tangy. We hope you enjoy this fun and filling meal at your next pizza night!
Don’t forget to tag us in your creations – @smallkitchenbigplates
Honeynut Squash, Pear, & Caramelized Onion Pizza with Cashew Ricotta
A delicious meal for autumn, or really anytime of the year, this pizza starts off with homemade cashew ricotta and is then loaded with some seriously amazing toppings. It is a beautiful balance of both flavour and texture, bringing together sweet, savoury, creamy, and crunchy for the perfect pizza experience!
Ingredients
- Cashew Ricotta
- 1 1/2 cups raw, unsalted cashews, soaked in hot water for an hour
- 1/3 cup hot water
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon light miso
- 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper
- Pizza Toppings
- Homemade Herby dough: https://smallkitchenbigplates.ca/2021/05/13/balsamic-onion-fig-smoky-walnut-flatbread-with-homemade-herby-dough/, or store-bought dough
- 1 honeynut squash or 1/2 small butternut squash, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 small Bosc pear, thinly sliced
- Caramelized Balsamic Onions: https://smallkitchenbigplates.ca/2021/05/13/balsamic-onion-fig-smoky-walnut-flatbread-with-homemade-herby-dough/
- 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
2. Lightly flour a baking sheet, your workspace, and a rolling pin and turn the risen dough out. Roll the dough into the shape of your choice. Transfer to the baking sheet, cover with a towel and let rise for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C).
3. Remove the cashew ricotta from the fridge and spread an even layer of it over the risen pizza dough, leaving a 1/2-inch perimeter of crust. Layer the squash, pear, and caramelized onions onto the pizza. Dollop as much or as little of the remaining cashew ricotta all over the pizza, sprinkle the pumpkin seeds on top, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 18-22 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. If using store bought dough, follow the package instructions because the baking time and temperature may vary.
4. Remove form the oven and let the pizza sit for 5 minutes before slicing up and serving, using any leftover cashew ricotta if you have as a dipping sauce.
Notes
- Honeynut squash can be hard to find depending where you are, but it can easily be replaced with butternut squash.
- We recommend using our Homemade Herby Dough: https://smallkitchenbigplates.ca/2021/05/13/balsamic-onion-fig-smoky-walnut-flatbread-with-homemade-herby-dough/ but if you don’t have time for homemade, feel free to use store-bought dough.
- You can use as little or as much of the cashew ricotta on top of the pizza and then use what you have leftover as a tasty dip to complement the pizza.
- We used a yellow onion for the caramelized balsamic onions instead of a red like in the original recipe.
smallkitchenbigplates 
We definitely have to make this delicious fall pizza!!
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We agree! Let us know how you like it!
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