Creamy Pumpkin Pizza with Truffled Gouda and Herbed Ricotta

 

I know that title's a little crazy, but this pizza is a mouthful, both in name and flavor.  There are so many wonderful things going on here, but the creamy pumpkin sauce, truffled gouda, and herbed ricotta are the highlights and thus deserve top billing.

The first time I made this pizza I had a vague idea of what I wanted to use and the flavor profile I was hoping to achieve.  When we make homemade pizzas, oftentimes they are kind of a thrown-together mish mash of random veggies, meats, and cheeses I have on hand.  It's always good, because you know… pizza.  However, this one blew me away, and I immediately added it to my menu for the following week, being sure to take careful notes so I could share it with you guys!  And… 4 months later, here we are ;)

I started with a creamy pumpkin alfredo-type sauce -- just a standard white sauce with the addition of a little tomato paste and pumpkin puree.  That in and of itself was great, and the extra sauce made for an excellent dipping sauce for the crust.  I topped the sauce with fresh spinach and onion, then finished it off with a cheesy trio -- mozzarella, truffled gouda, and dollops of herbed ricotta.  The result was one of the best pizzas I've ever made.  I try and keep a general rule here that I don't post recipes that use specialty ingredients, so I was a little weary of sharing this one due to the truffled gouda.  But I see it pretty regularly at Whole Foods, and my Trader Joe's has a truffled Italian cheese that's akin of fontina, and that works as well (I tested it just for y'all. ;))  In a pinch, you could easily use plain gouda and then finish the pizza with a little drizzle of truffle oil.  I love to serve this pizza with my shredded brussels sprouts salad (but I leave the cheese out of the salad since there's so much on the pizza); the flavors go really well together, and it makes for a lovely and simple meal.

On an unrelated note, as we enter the new year, and I plan for my blog, I'd love to hear from you!  What kinds of posts and recipes would you love to see here?  Any specific ideas, foods, round-ups, tutorials, etc?  More or less of my kids? ;)  I'm open to any and all suggestions!

 

Creamy Pumpkin Pizza with Truffled Gouda and Herbed Ricotta

• 1 Tbs butter
• 1 Tbs flour
• 1 Tbs tomato paste
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 3/4 cup milk
• 3 Tbs pumpkin puree
• 2 Tbs shredded parmesan cheese
• 1 lb pizza dough
• cornmeal, for sprinkling
• olive oil, for brushing
• 1/3 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/2 tsp minced fresh thyme
• 1 tsp minced fresh parsley
• 1 tsp minced fresh rosemary
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 packed cup chopped fresh spinach
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced white onion
• 1 cup grated truffled gouda cheese
• 1/2 cup grated mozzarella

Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 500 degrees for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Add the flour, tomato paste, and garlic, and cook, stirring continuously, for about 1 minute.  Whisk in the milk, reduce the heat to medium low, and cook until thickened, stirring often, about 3 to 4 minutes.  Remove from heat, fish out the garlic clove, and stir in the parmesan cheese.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Set aside.

Sprinkle a large square of parchment paper with cornmeal, and roll and stretch the dough into a 14-16 inch circle, or large oval.   Brush the perimeter of the dough with olive oil.

In a small bowl, combine the ricotta with the thyme, rosemary, and parsley, and season with salt and pepper.  Set aside.

Spread a thin layer of the sauce over the dough, leaving a 1 inch border.  Scatter the spinach and onions over the sauce, then sprinkle the mozzarella and gouda over the vegetables.  Using a teaspoon, dot the top with the ricotta.  

Transfer the pizza plus parchment to the preheated stone, and cook 10-12 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden brown.  Remove from oven, allow to cool 10 minutes, then slice and serve.