Winter Squash Pizza with Sage Pesto and Goat Cheese

 Pizza is my go to dish when I'm having guests of for dinner. It's surprisingly easy to make and you can top it with just about anything. Plus, everybody loves pizza. This weeks CSA brought me four beautiful carnival squash (I always forget to take pictures before I cook!) and I had to try them on a pizza with sage and goat cheese.

Winter Squash Pizza with Sage Pesto and Goat Cheese
makes 2 large pizzas

for the squash:
Cut each squash in half, scoop the seeds, and roast at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes, until a knife cuts through the flesh easily. Let cool for a few minutes, then peel and cut into 1/2" cubes. I used about 2 squash for the pizza, and saved the rest to eat later.

for the sage pesto: 
This is one of those recipes that doesn't really have a recipe. Blend together a big handful of sage leaves, a few cloves of garlic, some walnuts or pine nuts, a generous splash of olive oil and parmesan cheese to taste. 

my favorite pizza dough: 
1 packet yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
1 tsp sugar
1 cup warm water
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat or rye flour
1 Tbsp olive oil

Sprinkle the yeast and sugar into the water and whisk together. Let sit for 5ish minutes to proof; the mixture should bubble. In a big bowl (I use my stand mixer with the dough hook) add the olive oil, and gradually beat in the flour to form a soft dough. Knead or beat it for about 10 minutes. It shouldn't be too sticky. Let the dough rise for about an hour in a well-oiled bowl. I always make this the night before, so at this point you can stick it in the fridge overnight. When you're ready to roll out the dough, let it come to room temperature, divide it into 2 parts, and knead each part into a round ball. You're then ready to roll it out however thick you like on a well floured surface.

To assemble and bake:

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
Spread a thin layer of sage pesto on the crust, layer with paper-thin rounds of onion, top with a generous layer of squash, sprinkle with crumbled goat cheese, pine nuts or walnuts.
Bake for about 15 minutes or until the crust is just beginning to brown.
Top with lots of freshly ground black pepper and a sprinkle of parmesan.

I threw some dried cranberries on a few pieces and thought it was delicious! Try it out