The recipe

1 pizza, about 28 to 30 cmabout 35 minutes, plus dough proofing and preheating

Ingredients

  • 250 g proofed pizza dough, ready to bake
  • 120 g pumpkin or squash flesh, peeled and deseeded, such as butternut
  • 40 g ricotta, separated whey poured away
  • 65 g mozzarella, well drained
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • ½ tsp rosemary needles, then finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp water for cooking, if needed
  • Salt and black pepper
  • A little flour or fine semolina for shaping

Method

  1. Preheat to 250°C with conventional top and bottom heat. Heat a suitable stone or steel according to its instructions. Keep the dough covered until supple.
  2. Cut pumpkin into cubes about 1 cm across. Cook in the oil over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes, turning, until tender. Add 1 tbsp water and briefly cover if needed. Finish uncovered until all remaining liquid has evaporated.
  3. Test with a fork, season lightly and mix in the finely chopped rosemary. Spread on a plate to cool.
  4. Open the dough to 28 to 30 cm and check that it slides on a lightly dusted peel. Distribute ricotta thinly, then add mozzarella and pumpkin.
  5. Bake for approximately 8 to 12 minutes, checking from minute six. Make sure the base is cooked through beneath the topping.
  6. Remove, slice and serve warm.

Cook the pumpkin before baking

Weigh 120 g peeled, deseeded pumpkin or squash flesh, such as butternut. Cut it into even cubes approximately one centimetre across. Small pieces spread more easily and soften at a similar rate. Heat two teaspoons of olive oil in a frying pan, add the pumpkin and cook over medium heat for about ten to twelve minutes, turning occasionally. If it browns too quickly on the outside, add a tablespoon of water and briefly cover the pan to help it soften.

Test a cube with a fork. It should be tender through the centre while still holding its shape. Remove the lid and let any remaining water evaporate completely. Season lightly and spread on a plate to cool. The short pizza bake is intended to cook the base; large raw pumpkin chunks could remain firm. Use the prepared quantity in a loose layer instead of piling extra cubes on top of one another.

Chop the rosemary finely

Strip half a teaspoon of rosemary needles from their stems and chop them finely. Mix with the pumpkin while it is still slightly warm. Whole long needles can feel woody when eaten and may darken excessively on top of the pizza. The mild base uses 40 g ricotta and 65 g mozzarella. There is no tomato sauce in this version. Black pepper complements the sweetness of the pumpkin without overwhelming it.

Start with a fully proofed 250 g dough ball and allow extra time for making the dough and preheating. Add the topping only when the oven is ready. Launch promptly and check the base beneath the pumpkin as it bakes. If the top looks finished while the underside remains pale and soft, a better-preheated surface or a lower shelf position may help next time. Serve straight away to enjoy the roasted cubes with warm melted cheese.