Maple Roasted Butternut Squash Pizza with Brussels Sprouts, Bacon + Pomegranate

Maple Roasted Butternut Squash Pizza with Brussels Sprouts, Bacon + Pomegranate
Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen – Ashley Covelli

1 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil (plus more for brushing dough)
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper
3 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces (I used hickory smoked, uncured)
1 pound refrigerated pizza dough (store-bought or homemade), brought to room temperature
1-2 tablespoons of cornmeal
2 cups Brussels sprouts, trimmed, halved then thinly shredded
Freshly shaved Parmesan cheese, for garnish
Pomegranate arils, for garnish
Aged balsamic, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400°F. If you have a pizza stone, you can place this on a rack in the upper portion of the oven while it’s preheating.

In a medium bowl, place squash, 2 tablespoons of oil, syrup, salt and pepper and toss well to combine. Spread out in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, stir, and return to the oven to bake for another 5 minutes or until tender. Set aside and raise the oven temperature to 550°F.

Meanwhile, place the bacon in a single layer in a medium-sized non-stick skillet. Cook over medium heat, flipping occasionally, until brown and crispy. Remove bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain off excess grease.

Once the oven has been at 550°F for 30 minutes, stretch out your pizza dough and place on a pizza peel or thin cutting board that has been sprinkled with cornmeal (this helps prevent the dough from sticking). If you don’t have a pizza peel and stone, you can do this directly on a baking sheet. Brush a thin layer of olive oil onto dough, leaving about an inch around the outer perimeter of the dough. Scatter roasted squash, shredded Brussels sprouts and bacon evenly over the oiled dough.

If using a pizza stone, carefully slide the dough off the pizza peel onto the stone and let bake for 10-15 minutes, until the the crust is golden brown all over. If using a baking sheet, just place the whole thing in the oven and cook until golden, rotating the sheet halfway through if you notice it’s browning unevenly.

Once the pizza is done, use the pizza peel to remove it from the stone. Place the cooked pizza on a cutting board. Sprinkle with shaved Parmesan and pomegranate arils and drizzle with aged balsamic. Slice and enjoy!