Meatless Monday: Butternut Squash, Portobello Mushroom, Caramelized Onion and Hazelnut Pizza

These may seem like unlikely toppings for a pizza, but the combination is pure heaven , and it will make you feel like you’re eating something truly gourmet.

Ingredients

1½ lbs / 680 g whole wheat pizza dough (store bought or see p. 277 of The Eat-Clean Diet Vegetarian Cookbook), at room temperature
½ butternut squash, about 1½ lbs / 680 g, seeds scooped out
2 tsp / 10 ml extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 small clove garlic, chopped
1 tsp / 5 ml fresh thyme
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1 large yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
¼ tsp / 1.25 ml herbes de Provence
2 Portobello mushrooms, stemmed, halved and sliced into ¼-inch thick pieces
½ cup / 120 ml Yogurt Cheese*
¼ cup / 60 ml hazelnuts or filberts, coarsely chopped
Eat-Clean Cooking Spray
Pinch each sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Whole wheat flour or cornmeal, for dusting the pizza stone or baking sheet

NOTE: *Yogurt Cheese must be made ahead of time.

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425°F (215°C). Spray flesh of squash with Eat-Clean Cooking Spray and place flesh side down on a baking sheet. Bake until tender when pierced with a skewer, about 40 minutes. Remove and let cool until comfortable to handle. Scoop squash from skin and transfer to a food processor. Add 1 tsp (5 ml) olive oil, garlic, thyme, nutmeg and a pinch of salt and pepper. Blend until smooth.

Heat 1 tsp (5 ml) olive oil in a large skillet on medium high. Add onion and herbes de Provence. Cook until onions are starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly caramelized, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat.

Heat a large skillet on medium and spray with Eat-Clean Cooking Spray. Add Portobello mushrooms in a single layer, spray tops with a little Eat-Clean Cooking Spray and cook, stirring rarely, until soft and golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and remove from heat.

Stretch, roll out or toss the pizza dough into a shape that will cover a 15- or 16-inch pizza stone or round or large rectangular baking sheet. Sprinkle pizza stone or baking sheet with a little flour or cornmeal to prevent dough from sticking, and stretch dough over top. Spread squash purée onto dough, leaving ½-inch of crust at the edge. Top with mushrooms and caramelized onions. Dollop with yogurt cheese, and sprinkle with hazelnuts.

Place pizza in oven and bake until crust is golden brown at the edges, and pizza is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.

Transfer to a cutting board, cut into slices and serve.

Recipe by Tosca Reno, from The Eat-Clean Diet Vegetarian Cookbook

Image via Tumblr