Toasted Sage Butternut Pizza

The Sunday Dinner Club: We here at The Sunday Paper believe in meaningful conversations around the table, and we want to encourage you to start your own Sunday Dinner Club. Invite friends and family members to your home, reach out virtually, and share meaningful conversations. Then report back to us and tell us about the experience.

The Ingredients of a Meaningful Dinner: 1) Set an intention. 2) Say Grace. 3) Serve healthy food. 4) Start talking. 5) Be open-minded and listen.

Conversation Starter: Either go around the table (or partner up) and tell another person what you perceive their superpower to be.

RECIPE:

Cauliflower makes the perfect crust for these delicious pizzas. Topped with a creamy butternut squash sauce, toasted sage, and gooey goat cheese, this is sure to become a new household favorite. It’s a much healthier alternative to regular pizza made out of white flour and dairy since it contains a variety of vitamins and minerals and has a lower-glycemic index.

Serves: 4 to 6

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Butternut Squash Purée

• 1 small butternut squash (about 1 pound)
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil
• 2 tablespoons ghee or coconut oil
• 3 shallots, chopped
• ¼ cup chicken broth or filtered water
• ¼ cup canned coconut cream (unshaken so cream and water are separated)
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced

Cauliflower Crust

• 1 medium cauliflower
• 3 large pasture-raised eggs
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 2⁄3 cup almond flour (or 1 cup chickpea flour)

Toppings

• 2 tablespoons avocado oil
• 36 small to medium fresh sage leaves
• ½ cup grated hard sheep or goat cheese
• ¼ cup pepitas
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon raw honey (optional)
• Pinch of Maldon salt or other flaked salt (optional)

Directions

1. To roast the squash for the puree: Preheat the oven to 425°F using a convection setting if possible. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the skin from the squash and chop into small cubes. In a baking dish, toss the squash with the avocado oil; roast for 25 minutes or until browned. Keep the oven on.
2. Meanwhile, for the crust: To rice the cauliflower, remove the outer green leaves and most of the stem. Chop the remaining cauliflower into medium chunks and pulse in a food processor until it resembles a fine grain. Alternatively, you can grate the cauliflower on a box grater.
3. Whisk the eggs in a small bowl. Add the cauliflower, mustard, oregano, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and ½ teaspoon of the pepper and mix well. Add the almond flour and mix again. Divide the cauliflower mixture among the two baking sheets, forming 2 oval crusts with hands, ⅛- to ¼-inch thick. Bake the cauliflower crusts for 7 minutes. Remove from the oven, flip the crusts, and rotate the baking sheets between the top and bottom oven racks. Bake for another 8 minutes, until golden, then remove from the oven but keep the oven on.
4. To finish the squash puree: Heat the ghee in a medium pan until shimmering. Add the shallots and saute 5 minutes. Add the roasted squash, broth, coconut cream, and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes, until hot.
5. Let cool, then puree in a high-speed blender.
6. For the sage topping: Heat the avocado oil in a small pan. Add the sage leaves and cook for 45 seconds, until aromatic and slightly crisp. Remove from the heat.
7. To top the pizzas: Top both crusts with the squash puree, then add the sage leaves, cheese, and pepitas. Bake for 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Top the pizzas with the honey and Maldon salt, if desired, and serve.

This recipe was featured in the Oct. 27th edition of The Sunday Paper. The Sunday Paper inspires hearts and minds to rise above the noise. To get The Sunday Paper delivered to your inbox each Sunday morning for free, click here to subscribe.