– This Recipe is Sponsored by Pillsbury – We almost always have homemade or store-bought pesto in our kitchen. It adds so much flavor with little effort. We use it all the time and especially love using it as a substitute for tomato pizza sauce.
How to Make Pizza with Pesto and Butternut Squash
This pizza is so fresh and full of flavor. Basil pesto brings a ton of flavor by itself, but when you add sweet butternut squash, bright tomatoes and mozzarella cheese everything really pops. You can even make this in 30 minutes (maybe less), making this a great weekday meal.
The pizza dough we used is actually from Pillsbury. You may have noticed one of their new products showing up in your grocery store – their new Artisan Pizza Crust with Whole Grain. If you can’t find Pillsbury’s pizza crust, feel free to use any store-bought pizza dough or homemade.
Keep this pizza meatless or add some roasted shrimp — here’s my favorite way to cook them. I’d roast them separately then add them to the pizza once baked. This way the pizza cooks perfectly and the shrimp don’t overcook. Recipe updated, originally posted November 2012. Since posting this in 2012, we have tweaked the recipe to be more clear. – Adam and Joanne 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil Half of a medium butternut squash, seeds removed and diced (3 cups) 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 cup (120 ml) vegetable or chicken stock 4 ounces mozzarella cheese, coarsely grated (about 1 cup) 3 tablespoons pesto, see our homemade pesto recipe 10 cherry tomatoes, halved 2Form pizza dough into a 15-inch by 10-inch rectangle (this doesn’t have to be exact, just close). Place dough onto baking sheet then bake for 8 minutes. 3Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the butternut squash and a 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, 4 to 6 minutes or until the squash begins to brown. Add the stock and cook another 5 minutes until the squash is easily pierced with a fork. 4Spread the pesto over the par-baked pizza crust then scatter the butternut squash, mozzarella cheese and cherry tomato halves on top. Bake the pizza until the cheese is melted and starts to bubble, 6 to 10 minutes.
