Butternut Squash Pizza with Balsamic Reduction

I have been making a lot of pizza. I just keep finding Pioneer Woman's pizza recipes. And I can't resist trying them. Plus, all these pizza recipes are so easy put together. This is my own pizza creation, but with Pioneer Woman's amazing crust.

The main flavors are butternut squash, goat cheese (whoops, is this the 3rd recipe this week? sorry, i realize i have a problem), and balsamic vinegar. Then, there are also some walnuts sprinkled on top for a nice crunch. Scot loves sweet squashy things like pumpkin, sweet potatoes, and butternut squash. I knew he would love this flavor combo. He is one of those guys who will eat like the sweet potato dish with the sugar topping (or marshmallows) at Thanksgiving. I love sweet potatoes. But, I like them savory style. And that is kind of how this pizza is.

I would have taken the balsamic reduction even further, but I had to go, so I decided it was fine. If you can't justify using that much balsamic vinegar, to get such a small amount (it is hard, I know), then you could also just serve this with a green salad tossed in a balsamic vinaigrette. Also, I roasted the butternut squash yesterday. I am using the other half tomorrow night.

Butternut Squash Pizza with Balsamic Reduction

1 pizza crust (1/2 this recipe)

1/2 butternut squash, roasted

handful of baby spinach

8 oz. of fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

2-3 oz. of goat cheese, crumbled

1 tbsp of parmesan cheese, grated

1/3 cup of walnuts, chopped

1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 475°F.

Put balsamic vinegar in small saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer over medium high heat until balsamic vinegar reduces to about 1/3rd its originally volume. This should take about 20 minutes. It will by thick and syrupy.

Stretch out dough on oiled baking sheet. Rub oil on top of dough and sprinkle with salt. Cover with a single layer of baby spinach.

Thinly slice the butternut squash and put a layer all over pizza. The thinner you slice it, the better (you may not need an entire half of the squash). Sprinkle the top with salt.

Now, layer on the mozzarella. Crumble goat cheese over top. Sprinkle with parmesan.

Bake in the oven for about 12-16 minutes until golden. Once it is out of the oven, sprinkle with chopped walnuts and drizzle with balsamic reduction.

(Servings: 4, Prep time: 30 min., Cook time: 20 min., Difficulty: Easy)

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