This post is a collaboration between myself, Erath Wine, and Oregon Wine Month. I received compensation in exchange for my work. As always, all opinions and recipes are my own. #sponsored
This savory Vegan Kale and Butternut Squash Pizza is the copycat version of a popular restaurant pie. It is delicious, veggie packed, and topped with creamy almond ricotta!
Hello friends and happy Friday! I am so excited to be sharing this delicious recipe today - it is the perfect weekend project! This Vegan Kale and Butternut Squash Pizza with Almond Ricotta may seem like a mouthful to say... but it's an even more delicious mouthful to eat. Crisp homemade pizza crust is topped with sautéed kale, caramelized onions, thinly sliced butternut squash, dried cranberries, and an easy homemade almond ricotta for the perfect combination of sweet, savory, creamy, and crunchy.
This tasty pizza is a copycat version of one of my favorite dishes at a local restaurant, and since we can't really go out... I thought it would be perfect to replicate it! For this post, I have partnered up with Erath Wines for Oregon Wine Month to show you the best way to enjoy your time at home. I think pizza and wine are a pretty perfect pairing, and Erath's crisp, refreshing pinot gris was absolutely delicious with this savory veggie pizza!
How do I make this kale and butternut squash pizza at home?
There are a few separate components that go into this delicious butternut pizza, but I promise everything is super easy to make!
- Pizza dough: I use my mom's classic recipe, but I am a big advocate for store-bought shortcuts! Feel free to grab ready-made dough at the grocery store to save time.
- Butternut squash: in this case, I do recommend a whole, fresh butternut squash since you want to be able to cut it into super-thin slices by hand! This ensures that the butternut squash cooks at the same time as the pizza.
- Kale: I am a big fan of buying a bunch of fresh kale at the store! I don't like the bagged, pre-washed kind as it usually has the hard stems still attached, which actually makes more work for you! Who wants to go through and pick out all the hard pieces and throw them away?! I find it much easier to just strip the kale leaves off the stem when everything is left whole.
- Almond ricotta: I found this ridiculously easy recipe from Minimalist Baker and made the ricotta myself, but you can buy it at the store as well! I have seen vegan almond ricotta at natural food stores like Sprouts and Whole Foods, but be warned that it is quite pricey. The homemade version is cheaper and it only took me 5 minutes to whip up.
- Caramelized onions: this is the part that probably takes the longest out of this butternut squash pizza, but good news - it's almost all hands-off time! All you need to make decadent, melt-in-your-mouth caramelized onions is sliced onions, a little bit of olive oil, and some salt. That is it! The secret is cooking them low and slow so that they get golden brown and flavorful without burning. While you're waiting for the onions to finish up, you can enjoy a refreshing glass of pinot gris!
If you guys have been feeling the strain of being housebound, give this tasty kale and butternut squash pizza a try! It's something a little different than the usual, and all the vegetables make it hearty and satisfying without being too heavy or weighing you down. It is such a delicious baking project, and it pairs perfectly with a glass of crisp wine and an evening in front of the tv with the husband... at least, I think so!😉 Give this a try and let me know what you think!
Don't forget to check out the Erath Wine website to see all of their delicious wines!
{thank you to Minimalist Baker for the almond ricotta recipe!}
vegan kale and butternut squash pizza with almond ricotta
Ingredients
- *for the pizza dough* - you can also use store-bought
- 1 teaspoon instant yeast
- ½ cup warm water
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- *for the onions*
- 1 medium onion sliced thin {I used a yellow onion}
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
- sprinkle of salt & pepper to taste
- *for the kale*
- 1-2 teaspoon olive oil
- 3 cups fresh kale leaves stems removed and leaves torn into small pieces
- salt and pepper to taste
- *for the almond ricotta*
- 1 cup blanched slivered almonds
- 2 teaspoon nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice {about ½ a lemon}
- salt and garlic powder to taste
- ⅓ cup water
- *to top the pizza*
- fresh butternut squash peeled and sliced thinly
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- olive oil
- garlic salt
Instructions
- First, make the pizza crust. In a large bowl, combine the lukewarm water and sugar or honey, and mix until sugar dissolves. Stir in the yeast, and allow it to sit for 5-10 minutes, until yeast blooms.
- Stir in the flour, salt, and olive oil, and mix with your hands until a soft dough forms.
- Lightly dust a working surface with flour, dump the dough on top, and work it with your hands. Add more flour as needed until dough no longer sticks to your fingers and is elastic and smooth.
- Lightly oil a large bowl (you can just use the one from earlier!), and place the dough inside.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean towel, and allow it to rise in a warm place for at least 2 hours. Alternatively, you can also make it in the evening and let it rise all night in the fridge! Refrigerate the dough if you plan on letting it rise for 8+ hours so that it does not over-proof.
- Next, prepare the caramelized onions. Cut your onion in half, and slice thinly.
- Heat a small pan over medium-low heat, and add in the olive oil. Add the sliced onion, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Cook the onions until they start to get soft and translucent, then lower heat to low. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden brown and very soft. This will take 30-40 minutes. Remove from the pan, and set aside.
- In the same pan, add another 1-2 teaspoon of olive oil, and add in the kale, with the stems removed and the leaves torn up with your hands. Add another sprinkle of salt.
- Cook until kale is wilted down. You can add a small splash of water if needed to help speed up the process. When ready, remove from heat and set aside.
- Next, prepare the almond ricotta. Combine all the ingredients in a food processor or high-powered blender, and blend until smooth and creamy.
- Finally, get your butternut squash ready. Wash and peel the squash. Remove the top and bottom, and cut it in half lengthwise. Slice the top neck part of the squash (where there are no seeds) as thinly as you can with a knife. A mandoline slicer also works. You won't need the whole squash - save the rest for another recipe!
- Now it is time to assemble the pizza!! The crust can be used to make 1 thicker crust pie or two thin crust pizzas. Do note that there is enough topping to make two pizzas.
- Divide the dough in half if needed, then lightly knead the dough and allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes.
- Heat oven to 550F. Place the dough in your desired pizza pan or on a pizza stone, brush with some olive oil, and sprinkle with garlic salt. Top with the kale, caramelized onions, and sliced butternut squash. Cook until the crust is golden brown and bubbly on top, and the bottom is dry and crisp. On the pizza stone, this takes about 7-8 minutes for me.
- When the pizza is cooked, remove from oven and top with dollops of almond ricotta and cranberries. Enjoy immediately with a glass of wine!
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