Roasted Acorn Squash Arugula Pizza with Pomegranate Balsamic Reduction

I am officially in love with this pizza. I seriously cannot contain my excitement. Acorn squash is by far my favorite type of squash..I roasted it in the oven with brown sugar and cinnamon and a little cayenne and allspice. SO fallish. This whole pizza just screams fall. Since it’s October now I figured I would share something super seasonal. You HAVE to make this. I have no words for how good it is.

I am SO happy it is finally fall. For me, nothing beats fall food, the cool nights and mornings, the gorgeous colors outside, Sunday food and football, scarves, boots, my birthday, pumpkin everything, cozy soups, I could go on and on….

I always make my own dough and you really can’t beat it. Its super fluffy and almost foccacia-y. I love how pillowy and soft it is. Now don’t get me wrong, I do love a crispy thin crust brick oven pizza, but my dough gets me every time.

Well I went searching all over the world for a pomegranate. Their season did just start, but I went to a couple stores before I was able to hunt one down. Whole Foods (my heaven on earth) had a ton of them, thank god. I had this pizza in my mind and I had to make it ASAP. I get an idea in my head and it has to happen really soon or else I go crazy. It’s just the way I am, always have been that way. Especially with food. I made this amazing balsamic pomegranate reduction for the pizza with a little honey in it. To. die. for.

The sweetness of the squash added a lot to the pizza also. Thanks to brown sugar and oven roasted goodness.

I used fresh mozzarella. My all time favorite.

Makes 1 pizza. Serves 2-4.
Prep time: 1 1/2 hours
Cook time: 30 minutes

For the dough:
1 packet active dry yeast
1 c. warm water
1 tsp. sugar
1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 c. whole wheat flour
2 tsp. sea salt
2 T. olive oil

For the pizza:
1/2 of an acorn squash, seeds removed, thinly sliced (be careful when you are cutting into it, you need a really sharp, big knife)
2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. brown sugar
pinch of cayenne
pinch of allspice
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/3 c. balsamic vinegar
1/4 c. pomegranate juice
2 tsp. honey
6 oz. fresh mozzarella, sliced
1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese
pinch of red pepper flakes
1-2 cups baby arugula
pomegranate arils for garnish, if desired
sprinkle of coarsely ground cornmeal

Begin by making the dough. Pour packet of yeast into a large bowl and add 1 cup of warm water as well as 1 tsp. sugar. Let sit for 10 minutes or so or until a bubbly foam forms at the top. Then, add both flours, the sea salt, and olive oil, and stir to combine with a wooden spoon.

Then, take the dough out of the bowl onto a lightly floured surface, and knead for 6 to 7 minutes, until it is thoroughly combined and develops an elasticity.
Rub the inside of the bowl with a tablespoon or so of olive oil, and place the dough ball in the bowl, then rub a bit more olive oil on the top. Let sit in bowl, covered with a dish towel for 1-1 1/2 hours to rise. Dough should double in size after this time.

While waiting for the dough to rise, you can roast the squash and make the reduction. Add balsamic vinegar, pomegranate juice, and honey to a medium saucepan and heat over medium high heat. Let simmer for 10-15 minutes until it has reduced by 3/4 of its original volume. You know it is done when it is syrupy. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 425℉. In a small bowl, combine the 2 tsp. of olive oil, cinnamon, cayenne, brown sugar, allspice, salt and pepper, and stir. Arrange squash slices on a baking sheet and toss with spice/oil mixture. Make sure they are in a flat single layer. Roast for about 8 minutes on the first side, and then flip, and roast for an additional 3-5 minutes until tender and golden. Remove from oven and set aside.

After dough is finished rising, raise oven temp to 450℉. Roll out the dough until it is about 1/4 inch thick, to fit the shape of your baking sheet or stone.

Sprinkle the cornmeal (maybe 1/2 T.) onto a large baking skeet or pizza stone, to ensure the dough wont stick and for extra crispiness. I also give the baking sheet a little spray of cooking spray. I do this to all of my pizzas, it’s a great trick!

Put rolled dough on baking sheet and rub with a teaspoon of olive oil. Arrange mozzarella slices on the dough, then the squash, and then the grated parmesan. Sprinkle with a pinch of red pepper flakes.

Bake for 10-12 minutes until crust is golden and cheese is bubbly and golden also. When you remove it from the oven, drizzle with half of the balsamic reduction, and sprinkle on some pomegranate arils if desired. Top with a couple handfuls of baby arugula, then drizzle on the remaining balsamic pom reduction. Cut into pieces and serve.

Literally gorgeous. I die.