Pizza Zucca al Pancetta
Author: Pizza Today
Recipe type: Pizza
By John Gutekanst Avalanche Pizza, Athens, OH
Ingredients
- 1 19-ounce proprietary dough
- 1 ounce or half a handful of fresh whole spinach leaf
- 2½ ounces of imported Teleggio (DOP)
- 5-6 ounces of butternut squash (Prepare as
- directed below with equal amounts of cinnamon,
- vanilla and maple syrup with nutmeg and water)
- 3½ ounces (one thick slice) of Italian-style pancetta (Bacon is too strong for this recipe.)
- 1 ounce raw hazelnuts
- Local honey for drizzling
- Optional: 3 ounces Crescenza
Instructions
- For the squash, pre-heat the oven to 400 F.
- To render the butternut squash, cut it first across to obtain round sections that are two inches high.
- Put these sections flat on the cutting board and trim the skin off of them.
- Then cut them into quarters so you can cut the stringy inside off also.
- These can then be cut again into smaller inch-wide chunks.
- Place the butternut squash chunks in a bowl and coat with the same amount of honey, maple syrup, cinnamon, a pinch of nutmeg and vanilla essence.
- Add a little hot water and toss in the bowl.
- Pour the mix on a foil-lined tray and insert into a 475 F oven.
- Cook until fork tender, tossing occasionally.
- Take out of the oven and cool, and then slice into small thin squares that will spread nicely on the pizza.
- Cube the pancetta and then cut the raw hazelnuts with a sharp knife.
- Cook the pancetta over the stove in a sauté pan or pot. Briefly sauté on medium-high heat until partially cooked.
- Add the chopped hazelnuts to the pot.
- Toss under the same heat for one minute.
- Add two tablespoons of water to deglaze the pan.
- Cook in the pancetta juice for one minute more.
- Remove and reserve for the pizza.
- Place the spinach, the teleggio and the sliced butternut squash on the pizza dough round.
- Cook for 8 to 12 minutes at 500 F or until golden brown and done.
- Finish with honey drizzle.
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