Meatless Monday: Broccoli-Squash Vegan Pizza

In the past 20 years or so, the popular definition of pizza has changed radically. I first noticed it when pizza bakers started using pesto instead of tomato sauce as a base. From there it turned radical—pad thai pizza, carrot butter pizza, taco pizza—you get the picture.

While I love traditional tomato-based pies, I also enjoy trying something different. The day I made this pizza I was craving a pizza with cruciferous veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, etc.). A few months ago, I tried a sauce-free kale and cannellini bean pizza, probably the least traditional pie I’ve tried so far. Today’s Meatless Monday pizza comes from Minimalist Baker.

The fact that the sauce for this pizza comes from roasted butternut squash makes this veggie rich. The sauce is both sweet and savory, because it includes both roasted squash and roasted garlic. It was a perfect foil for broccoli.

This is pretty easy to put together on a weeknight. Here are some do-aheads that can make the final assembly much smoother:

• Roast the squash and garlic ahead of time. You can either store it in a container and process it later, or process it while it’s hot and and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.
• Chop the broccoli and slice the onions beforehand and store in a container.

Even if you put this together all at once, it’s still easy weeknight fare.

Meatless Monday: Broccoli-Squash Vegan PIzza 

Sauce:

• 3 cups butternut squash, cubed
• 3 cloves garlic, whole, skin removed
• 2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
• Pinch sea salt + black pepper
• 1 tablespoon maple or agave syrup

• 2 cups broccoli or broccolini, chopped, large stems removed
• 1/2 cup red onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas, rinsed and thoroughly dried
• Pinch sea salt + black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 store-bought pizza dough

Put it together:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and position a rack in the middle of the oven.
2. Add cubed butternut squash and peeled garlic cloves to a baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and a pinch each salt and pepper. Toss to combine.
3. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until all squash is fork tender.
4. Transfer squash and garlic to a blender or food processor with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and maple syrup. Purée in a food processor or high-speed blender until creamy and smooth, adding more olive oil or a touch of water if it’s too thick. The consistency should be creamy and spreadable (not pourable).
5. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Set aside.
6. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add 1 teaspoon oil, broccoli, onion, chickpeas (optional), salt and pepper, and oregano. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Set aside.
7. Increase oven heat to 425 degrees F (218 C).
8. Roll out pizza dough into an even circle and transfer to a parchment-lined round baking sheet (or similarly-shaped object).
9. Top with the butternut squash sauce (you may have leftover sauce, depending on how big your circle of dough ends up being), veggies, and chickpeas. Sprinkle on a bit more oregano.
10. Transfer pizza to the oven. Bake for 13-18 minutes, or until crust edges are golden brown.