Butternut Squash, Cider Caramelized Onion & Chorizo Pizza with Crispy Sage

Here’s a fall pizza that will blow your mind. My fiancé and I finished it in one sitting. Alone. Yes, it serves 4-5 people! LOL.

Butternut squash noodles, buttery caramelized onions with a touch of apple cider vinegar, crumbled chorizo, melty cheese, garlic infused olive oil, and crispy sage. Cozy, belly-warming, comforting. It’s everything a fall dinner should be.

Instead of having aggressive chunks of squash on this pizza, butternut noodles soften quickly and add the perfect layer of brightness without overwhelming the other topping flavors!

Grab a tall glass of wine, curl up on the couch and treat yourself to a much needed fall pizza night.

 

 

Makes: for 4-5 people (about 6 larges slices)

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 55 minutes

Total time: 1 hour and 15 minutes

The Ingredients

~22-ounce whole wheat pizza dough (store-bought or homemade)

2 chorizo sausages, removed from casings

2 cups shredded pizza cheese blend (I use a blend of mozzarella, provolone, and asiago)

8 ounces (1 cup) butternut squash noodles

3 yellow onions, cut into thick strips

2 large garlic cloves, finely minced

¼ cup, plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Small handful fresh sage leaves

 

 

 

The Steps

For crumbled chorizo: in a large dry pot over medium heat, add sausages out of casings and sauté until completely cooked, using a slotted spoon to break up sausage pieces into small crumbles. Remove sausage from pot using slotted spoon and set aside.

For cider caramelized onions: in the same pot you sautéed chorizo, add 2 tablespoons olive oil and 3 tablespoons butter. Add onion. Over medium-low heat, toss onion in butter-olive oil mixture. Cover onions and let caramelize for 25-30 minutes until golden, tossing onions every 5 minutes for even caramelization. Add 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar a few minutes before onions are done. Toss to coat. Turn heat off and leave onions in pot.

For garlic oil: in a small saucepan, add minced garlic and ¼ cup olive oil. Heat oil over medium-low heat until oil simmers. Add sage leaves and let simmer for 30 seconds. Use tongs to remove sage and place sage leaves on a plate. Remove oil from heat and set aside.

To assemble: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. On a large floured baking sheet or pizza stone, stretch and form dough into a rectangle or circle until you achieve the thickness of the dough you desire.

Use a basting brush to brush dough with ¾ of the garlic-oil mixture.

**When adding all remaining ingredients, leave a 1-inch border around outside of dough for a crust!

Top dough evenly with cheese.

Then add caramelized onions (use desired amount).

Toss butternut squash noodles with remainder of oil. Add evenly to pizza.

Add chorizo crumbles.

Bake in oven for 12 minutes. Add olive oil soaked sage leaves to top of pizza. Bake for an additional 5-8 minutes until golden. Pizza should be in oven for a total of 17-20 minutes.

Let pizza cool for at least 5 minutes before cutting!

 

 

 

 

The Steps with Pictures

For crumbled chorizo: in a large dry pot over medium heat, add sausages out of casings and sauté until completely cooked, using a slotted spoon to break up sausage pieces into small crumbles. Remove sausage from pot using slotted spoon and set aside.

For cider caramelized onions: in the same pot you sautéed chorizo, add 2 tablespoons olive oil and 3 tablespoons butter. Add onion. Over medium-low heat, toss onion in butter-olive oil mixture. Cover onions and let caramelize for 25-30 minutes until golden, tossing onions every 5 minutes for even caramelization. Add 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar a few minutes before onions are done. Toss to coat. Turn heat off and leave onions in pot.

For garlic oil: in a small saucepan, add minced garlic and ¼ cup olive oil. Heat oil over medium-low heat until oil simmers. Add sage leaves and let simmer for 30 seconds. Use tongs to remove sage and place sage leaves on a plate. Remove oil from heat and set aside.

To assemble: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. On a large floured baking sheet or pizza stone, stretch and form dough into a rectangle or circle until you achieve the thickness of the dough you desire.

Use a basting brush to brush dough with ¾ of the garlic-oil mixture.

**When adding all remaining ingredients, leave a 1-inch border around outside of dough for a crust!

Top dough evenly with cheese.

Then add caramelized onions (use desired amount).

Toss butternut squash noodles with remainder of oil. Add evenly to pizza.

Add chorizo crumbles.

Bake in oven for 12 minutes. Add olive oil soaked sage leaves to top of pizza. Bake for an additional 5-8 minutes until golden. Pizza should be in oven for a total of 17-20 minutes.

Let pizza cool for at least 5 minutes before cutting!