Pizza With Blue Cheese Butternut Squash And Fried Sage Leaves Recipes

BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND ARUGULA PIZZA

Steps:

• For the dough: Combine the flour, rosemary, yeast, sugar and 1 teaspoon salt in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add 3/4 cup warm water and the oil and process until the dough forms a ball. Transfer to a large, lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let stand in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
• For the topping: Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Toss the squash with 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Roast until just tender, about 10 minutes.
• In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and the sage, rosemary, red pepper flakes and garlic. Heat for 1 to 2 minutes, just to infuse the oil.
• Sprinkle cornmeal or flour on a 14-inch pizza pan and set aside.
• Liberally flour a clean work surface. Place the dough on top and use your hands to stretch it out into a 14-inch circle. Carefully lay the dough on the pizza pan. Brush the infused oil onto the dough. Top with the mozzarella and the roasted squash, leaving a 1-inch border around the edge. Bake the pizza until the crust is golden brown, 14 to 18 minutes. Carefully sprinkle the goat cheese evenly on top.
• Toss the arugula with the 2 teaspoons olive oil, lemon zest and juice and a pinch of salt and black pepper. Top the pizza with the arugula, then cut into slices to serve.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH, PARMESAN, AND SAGE PIZZAS

Steps:

• Make pizza dough:
• In a large bowl stir together water and yeast and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour and salt and blend until mixture forms a dough, adding additional tablespoon water if too dry. On a lightly floured surface knead dough about 10 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. (Alternatively, dough may be made in a standing electric mixer. In bowl of mixer make dough as described above. With dough hook knead dough about 5 minutes, or until smooth and elastic.)
• Put dough in a very lightly oiled deep bowl, turning to coat, and let rise, covered loosely, in a warm place 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled in bulk. Punch down dough and divide into 4 equal pieces. Dough keeps, each piece put in a small, sealable plastic bag and sealed, pressing out excess air, chilled overnight or frozen 2 weeks. If dough is frozen, thaw overnight in refrigerator before using. Makes enough dough for four 12- by 6-inch oval pizzas.
• Make the pizza:
• Preheat oven to 450°F.
• In a bowl toss squash with oil and salt and pepper to taste. Spread squash in one layer in a shallow baking pan and roast in middle of oven, stirring once halfway through roasting, 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove pan from oven and loosen squash with a metal spatula. Squash may be roasted 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.
• In a medium heavy saucepan stir together milk and flour and bring to a simmer over moderate heat, stirring constantly. Simmer sauce, stirring, 2 minutes and stir in nutmeg and salt to taste. Sauce may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.
• Increase temperature to 500°F.
• On a work surface sprinkled with 1 teaspoon cornmeal roll out 1 piece of dough into a 12- by 6-inch oval and transfer to a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining cornmeal and dough, ending up with 2 ovals on each of 2 baking sheets.
• Spread sauce on dough ovals, leaving a 1/2-inch border around edge of each pizza, and sprinkle with Parmesan, squash, chopped sage, garlic, and pepper.
• Bake pizzas in lower and middle thirds of oven 15 minutes, or until crusts are crisp and pale golden. Garnish pizzas with sage sprigs.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH PIZZAS WITH ROSEMARY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Place sliced onion and squash in a roasting pan. Sprinkle with rosemary, salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil; toss to coat.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until onions are lightly browned and squash is tender; set aside.
• Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). On a floured surface, roll each ball of dough into an 8 inch round. Place the rounds on a baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal (you may need 2 baking sheets depending on their size). Distribute squash mixture over the two rounds and continue baking for 10 minutes, checking occasionally, or until the crust is firm. Sprinkle with cheese and remaining tablespoon olive oil. Cut into quarters, and serve.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH RAVIOLI WITH FRIED SAGE LEAVES

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, cook the squash puree over medium heat, stirring frequently, until it stops releasing moisture and is reduced to 1 1/4 cups, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl to cool.
• In a small saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the shallots; cook, stirring, until soft and beginning to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the chopped sage; cook, stirring, 1 minute more. Remove from heat; combine with the squash. Season with salt and pepper; stir in the nutmeg. Let cool completely.
• Generously dust 2 baking sheets with semolina; set aside. Divide the pasta dough into 4 pieces; cover the unused pieces with plastic wrap to keep them from drying out. Dust a piece of dough lightly with flour. Using a pasta maker, roll the dough through the widest opening. Fold the dough into thirds, and pass it through machine again, layered side first. Repeat process three or four more times, until the dough is smooth. Continue running the dough through the remaining settings, using additional flour sparingly, until the pasta sheet is very thin. The dough should be at least 5 inches wide.
• Place the dough on a lightly floured surface; halve crosswise. Cover half with plastic wrap. On the other half, place scant tablespoons of squash filling 1 inch apart in 2 rows. Using a pastry brush dipped in water, lightly moisten the pasta around each mound of filling. Top with the remaining half-sheet of pasta; press around the mounds to eliminate the air inside and to seal. Cut the pasta into 2 1/2-inch squares. Brush away excess flour. Place the ravioli on the prepared baking sheets. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
• In a small saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Drop a few sage leaves at a time into the hot oil, and fry until the oil around the leaves stops bubbling but before the leaves brown, about 5 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate; set aside.
• Bring a large stockpot of water to a boil. Add salt and the ravioli. Gently stir once, and cook at a gentle boil until the ravioli have floated to the top and are just tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, divide evenly among 4 plates.
• In a small saucepan, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat, and cook until lightly browned and aroma is nutty, 6 to 8 minutes. Drizzle over the ravioli, and garnish with cheese and fried sage leaves. Serve immediately.
• Roasted Squash Puree
• Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the squash halves, skin side up, on an oiled rimmed baking sheet. Bake until fork tender, about 1 1/4 hours. Remove from the oven. Turn over; let stand until cool enough to handle.
• Scoop the flesh into a food processor, and discard the skin. Puree until smooth. Refrigerate the squash puree in an airtight container up to 4 days, or store in the freezer up to 1 month.