Food - Drink
The Unexpected Ingredient To Add To Your Pizza This Fall
By SHAYE GLISSON
Pizza toppings have evolved quite a bit from the classic combo of tomato sauce and mozzarella. From pepperoni and pineapple to buffalo sauce and tapenade, people eat and enjoy countless toppings on their pies today, but if you're a fan of fall and want some seasonal flair for your pizza, try adding this autumnal ingredient.
Pumpkin and pizza aren't exactly traditional, but the flavors marry into quite the masterpiece when done right. The trick is to use kabocha squash (Japanese pumpkin) or sugar pumpkin, both of which have sweet, flavorful flesh, and slow-roast the squash before topping your pie to avoid a bland and watery result.
For a great pumpkin pizza that involves another classic fall crop — apples — toss quartered pumpkin with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast until tender, then scoop the flesh out of the skin, add seasonings, and mash into a chunky consistency. Next, sauté the mashed pumpkin with apple and spread the mix onto your pizza crust.
Sprinkle the pie with toppings that complement the flavor of the pumpkin, such as freshly-torn sage leaves, shallots, pancetta, Gruyère cheese, fontina, and/or mozzarella. Bake your pizza on a baking sheet or pizza stone until golden brown and bubbly for the best pumpkin pie ever — pumpkin pizza pie, that is.