Fall into Pizza

Pizza is everyone’s friend, yes?  There’s not a whole lot to dislike in a pizza.  But that’s coming from me- a huge fan of all things bread and dairy (even if my body decides to get angry when I eat too much of either). I guess I’m kinda picky about my pizza, though…  I do love pizza, don’t get me wrong… But I don’t love it to the extent that I would eat just any pizza I came across simply because it was pizza.

Nope. I’d rather have no pizza than ok pizza.

The crust has to be good, or I won’t eat it.  And I know it isn’t authentic, but I love me a thick crust.  But, again, that’s just the bread lover in me.  Good cheese, the perfect balance of ingredients and toppings… pizza can be perfection.  And as much as I love a classic Margherita, and all things simple… sometimes I just wanna have fun.

And for this here pizza pie, I had all the fun.

We had a family pizza and movie night, watching the 1979 Frank Langella Dracula, and more of the fun was had.  It’s pretty great watching your kids get excited about old movies… with all the new technology there is today, when you witness your 8 and 5 year old glued to a film from a different era, something magical is felt.

But back to the pizza.

Guys.

This is what Fall would do if it could make pizza.

WHOLE WHEAT PIZZA

W/

PUMPKIN RICOTTA

GOAT BRIE

ONION JAM

&

FRIED SAGE

Start with your dough… now, you can buy it from the grocery store, from your favorite pizzeria, make it from a mix, or you can make it from scratch.  I’ll never know what you did and I’ve absolutely used all methods stated above.  But if you wanna make your own whole wheat pizza crust, click HERE for the recipe post, with video tutorial included…

OR just watch the video…

 Or, use whatever your favorite pizza dough is!  (you’ll need 1 lb. of dough)

Then you’ll need the following components…

. onion jam .

a.k.a. softened, caramelized onions…

In a medium saucepan, heated to medium heat, add…

• good drizzle of light olive/canola oil
• 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
• several pinches of kosher salt
• couple pinches of sugar
• a sprinkling of ground allspice

Allow it to begin to sizzle, stir, and cover.  Reduce heat to low.  Cook for about 30 minutes, or until completely softened and full of liquid.

Turn up the heat again to medium and once the liquid evaporates, hit it with…

• several good glugs of dry sherry

Let the sherry cook down and once you have a dark, soft and spreadable oniony mixture, you’re done!  Adjust seasoning if necessary.

. pumpkin ricotta .

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the following…

• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree (NOT pie filling)
• 1/2 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup shredded/grated asiago cheese
• lots of freshly grated nutmeg
• kosher salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Mix well, adjust seasoning if necessary.

. fried sage leaves .

Heat a medium nonstick skillet on medium heat.

Add enough extra virgin olive oil to create a little pool in one corner of the pan when you tilt it.

Salt the oil.

One, by one, drop a handful of fresh sage leaves into the hot oil and let them sizzle for a few seconds.  Once they stop sizzling, remove them and let them drain on a paper towel until after your pizza has been cooked.

. pizza making time .

The easiest way to make a pizza at home (if you’re a little nervous about the peel – stone transfer) is to use a baking sheet a.k.a cookie sheet.

Just grease a large baking sheet with extra virgin olive oil (gives the dough the best flavor + crisp) and place the dough on top.  Grease the dough with more olive oil and spread it out evenly with your fingers to almost cover the entire pan surface.

Salt the dough with kosher salt.

Spread your pumpkin ricotta evenly over the dough, leaving a small amount on the edges for the crust.

Top with your caramelized onions.

Scatter with pieces of 4 oz goat brie (standard brie would also work fine, but I love the funkiness of the goat brie!  I got mine from Trader Joes, but I hear Whole Foods has a tasty one as well!)

Bake in 400 degree oven for about 15-18 minutes, or until the bottom of the crust is golden brown and crispy, cheese melted, and dough cooked through (note- I like a soft crust, so you may want yours to cook longer…)

Top with your fried sage leaves.

Slice and eat hot!

…

Thanks for reading, y’all! Enjoy your Thursday night. xo