Seasonal Squash and Bacon Pizza

Pizza is always in season. It can be as healthy or as indulgent as you want. It can be simple, or a tasty way to use up leftovers. And while perfecting homemade pizza is tricky (since most home ovens aren’t equipped to conduct the super high heat needed to cook a restaurant-style pizza), there’s really no way to go wrong with bread, sauce, and toppings. With this Seasonal Squash and Bacon Pizza in particular, there’s no room for disappointment.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 delicata squash (or other seasonal squash)
• 2 tablespoons Imperfect Foods Olive Oil, divided
• 3 cloves garlic, minced 
• 4 bacon slices, or 8-9 pieces of Imperfect Bacon Ends and Pieces
• 1 pound ball of pizza dough (homemade or store-bought)
• ¼ cup pizza sauce
• ½ cup Imperfect Foods Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
• ½ cup arugula 
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425° F. 
2. Prepare your pizza toppings. Cut the delicata squash in half, lengthwise, and use a spoon to remove the seeds. Slice each half into ¼ inch slices. Arrange slices on a lined sheet pan and toss with 1 tablespoon oil and a sprinkle of salt. Roast for 15-20 minutes, or until tender. Set aside to cool. 
3. Place a cooling rack over another sheet pan and place bacon pieces on top. Cook in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until crisp. If using full bacon slices, you may need to keep the bacon in the oven 3-5 minutes longer. Set aside to cool. Once cooled, coarsely chop into bits.
4. Bump up the oven to 500° F. 
5. Leave a clean cast iron skillet (or baking sheet if you don’t have a cast iron) in the oven until the oven is finished preheating. This will ensure that the bottom of the pizza cooks completely.  
6. Meanwhile, roll or pull pizza dough into a 10×10” circle. 
7. Once your oven is heated, carefully remove your hot cast iron or baking sheet from the oven. If using a baking sheet, you may want to line it with parchment paper. 
8. Carefully add your pizza dough to your skillet or baking sheet. Quickly drizzle the remaining olive oil over the dough. Spread pizza sauce over dough, leaving ½ – 1-inch circumference for the crust. Sprinkle evenly with mozzarella cheese. Place delicata squash and bacon bits evenly over the pizza dough. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the crust has browned and cheese is melted. Sprinkle arugula over hot pizza to wilt. Crack pepper all over pizza if desired.
9. Slice and serve while hot.

Recipe Notes and Variations

• If you’re already making homemade pizza, why not make your own sauce too? Start by combining a 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes, 2 tbsp of olive oil, 3 minced garlic cloves, and 1 ½  tsp of sea salt. Beyond that, you can really make your pizza sauce your own. Try adding oregano, chopped anchovies, or caramelized onions. 
• If you make your own sauce you’ll only need about a ½ cup for both pizzas. This means you’ll have plenty of sauce for pasta night tomorrow.