Whole Wheat Brussels Sprout Squash And Ricotta Pizza Food

SQUASH AND RICOTTA PIZZA

Steps:

• In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring often, until browned and caramelized, 30 to 40 minutes. Stir in the sage and cook for 2 more minutes.
• Meanwhile, put a pizza stone in the lowest position in the oven and preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. (If you don't have a pizza stone, you can use a baking sheet.)
• On a piece of parchment on a pizza peel or the back of a baking sheet, flatten out half the dough into a 10-inch round. Top with half of the ricotta, half of the Parmesan, a good pinch of salt and few turns of pepper, half of the onion and half of the squash shavings. Brush the squash with a thin even layer of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Slide the pizza onto the pizza stone (or heated baking sheet) and bake until the crust and squash are lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Repeat with the rest of the toppings on the other half of the dough.
• While the pizza is baking, toss the arugula with the lemon juice, a pinch of salt and a few turns of pepper.
• Top the pizzas with the arugula salad, additional Parmesan shavings and a sprinkle of crushed red pepper.

WHOLE-WHEAT BRUSSELS SPROUT, SQUASH AND RICOTTA PIZZA

Steps:

• Stir together the warm water, honey and yeast in a measuring cup or small bowl. Let sit until a small layer of foam develops at the top, 3 to 5 minutes. (If this doesn't happen, discard and try again with new yeast.)
• Whisk the flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt together in a medium bowl. Add the foamy yeast mixture and olive oil and mix together with a stiff rubber spatula. Form the dough into a uniform ball in the center of the bowl. Be sure to scrape and use any dough stuck to the sides. The dough will be very sticky at this stage. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and keep in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, about 2 hours.
• Lightly dust a baking sheet with flour. Sprinkle a generous amount of flour on a clean, dry work surface. Scrape the dough onto the floured surface and knead for a couple of minutes, working in just enough flour to make the dough less sticky but still moist to the touch. Form the dough into 1, 2 or 4 balls, for large, medium and small pizzas. Place the dough ball(s) on the prepared baking sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a dish towel and let rest for 30 minutes. The dough can then be shaped and cooked as desired or wrapped well and frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw frozen dough at room temperature, shape and cook as desired.

RICOTTA AND TOMATO PIZZAS

Steps:

• To make the dough: Stir the water, oil, and sugar in a liquid measuring cup until the sugar dissolves. Sprinkle the yeast over the surface over the liquid and set aside without stirring until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Whisk flour, cornmeal, and salt in a large bowl, make a well in the center, and add yeast mixture. With a wooden spoon or your hand, gradually stir flour into liquid to make a rough dough. Pull dough together into a ball. Turn onto a work surface dusted with flour. Knead until dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 to 6 minutes, using a little flour if necessary to keep it from sticking. Shape dough into a ball.
• Brush a large bowl with oil and turn dough around in bowl to coat lightly. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, trace a circle the size of the dough on the plastic, and note the time -- let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Turn dough onto a work surface; knead briefly to release excess air, re-shape into a ball and return to the bowl. Cover, and let rise until soft and puffy, about 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile prepare your topping: Grate the tomatoes on the large holes of a box grater into a large bowl. If very juicy, drain lightly in a strainer. Sprinkle the garlic with the salt and mash and smear the garlic into a paste with the side of a chef's knife. Add to the drained tomatoes. Whisk in the olive oil and season with the salt and pepper to taste.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Divide dough in half. Form dough into rounds (see How-to pictures). Press dough into cornmeal, flipping to dust both sides. Hold dough up like a steering wheel and rotate and stretch it to make a thin disk. Lightly brush a pizza screen or crisper with oil and place round on top. Spread half the tomato over the top and bake until crust is golden and crisp, about 15 minutes. Remove pizza from the oven and drop spoonfuls of ricotta on top. Scatter the fresh herbs and serve. Repeat with remaining pizza.

RICOTTA-BRUSSELS SPROUTS CROSTINI

Steps:

• Mix 3 tablespoons olive oil, 2 teaspoons dried oregano and a pinch of salt. Brush on 1 sliced baguette, then toast in a 350 degrees F oven, 6 to 8 minutes. Working in batches, deep-fry 3 cups Brussels sprout leaves in 375 degrees F canola oil until light brown, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Drain on paper towels and season with salt. Spread the crostini with ricotta, season with salt and pepper and top with the fried Brussels sprout leaves and shredded parmesan. Sprinkle with red wine vinegar, if desired.

BRUSSELS SPROUTS PIZZA CARBONARA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 475˚ F. Arrange two racks evenly spaced in the oven.
• For the béchamel, pour the milk into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk the flour into the butter and cook for 2 minutes, whisking almost constantly. Whisk in the hot milk, switch to a wooden spoon and simmer, stirring constantly, for 2 to 5 minutes, until thick enough to leave a trail when you run your finger down the back of a spoon. Cook for one more minute. Off the heat, stir in the ricotta, egg yolks, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; set aside.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium (10- to 11-inch) sauté pan, add the pancetta and cook over medium heat for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until half-cooked. Transfer the pancetta to a plate lined with paper towels and set aside.
• Flip over two sheet pans and put 12-by-18-inch pieces of parchment paper on each pan. Roll and stretch 2 of the pizza doughs into a 9- or 10-inch circle (they don't want to be perfect!) on the parchment papers. Leaving a 1-inch border, spread 1/2 cup of the béchamel on each pizza and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan, 2 tablespoons of the Pecorino and a quarter of the pancetta. In a medium bowl, toss the Brussels sprouts with 3 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle the two pizzas evenly with half of the Brussels sprouts. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the crust is nicely browned, including the bottom. Cut each pizza into 6 wedges with a large chef's knife and serve hot. Repeat for the remaining two pizzas.