Keepin' Recipes Real with Christie Vetter 

Ditch the delivery this Friday and try this hearty fall pizza recipe instead. Here we replace the typical red pizza sauce with a Garlicky Balsamic roasted butternut squash blend, and it has us dreaming of crisp weather and football games. We highly recommend pairing with a bottle of your favorite red and turning it into a fun homemade pizza night with the family! 
 
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time:  40 minutes
Total time: 50 minutes

WHAT YOU NEED

• 3 cups butternut squash, cubed
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 6 tablespoons Tessemae’s Pantry Balsamic Dressing
• 6 slices of bacon
• 1 yellow onion, halved and sliced thin
• ⅓ cup fresh sage leaves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup 
• 2 store bought pizza crusts (We used Capellos)
• 1 pound Fontina cheese, shredded (or a shredded Italian cheese blend)
• Sea salt and black pepper 

WHAT YOU DO

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. On a large sheet pan, toss the butternut squash, garlic cloves, and 2 tablespoons of Tessemae’s Pantry Balsamic Dressing. Roast until soft when poked with a fork, about 25 minutes. 
2. While the squash and garlic are roasting, chop the bacon into ½ inch pieces and sauté in a skillet at medium-high heat until browned and crispy, for about 10 minutes. Place bacon on a plate covered with a paper towel to blot the excess fat. 
3. In the same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon more of Tessemae’s Pantry Balsamic Dressing to medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until caramelized, around 10 minutes. At the very end, add sage leaves and sauté until bright green, for about 30 seconds. Remove onions and sage from the heat. 
4. When the butternut squash and garlic are finished roasting, add to a food processor with maple syrup, 2 tablespoons of Tessemae’s Pantry Balsamic Dressing, and sea salt and black pepper to taste. Blend until the sauce reaches a creamy consistency, about 2 minutes. 
5. Raise the oven temperature up to 450 degrees to preheat for the pizzas. 
6. Halve the butternut squash mixture and spread evenly across two pizza crusts, as you would traditional pizza sauce. Then, sprinkle with your desired amount of shredded Fontina or Italian cheese blend. I use about ½ pound on each pizza. 
7. Finally, divide the toppings (sage, caramelized onions, chopped bacon) in two, and spread evenly on both pizzas.