pizza
healthy recipes
butternut squash
gluten-free
vegetarian

"Cauliflower makes the perfect crust for these delicious pizzas," Dr. Hyman says. "Topped with a creamy butternut squash sauce, toasted sage, and gooey goat cheese, this is sure to become a new household favorite. It's a much healthier alternative to regular pizza made out of white flour and dairy since it contains a variety of vitamins and minerals and has a lower-glycemic index."

For a good-for-you sweet treat from Dr. Hyman, check out this Ultimate Mint Chocolate Shake. 

Adapted from What The Heck Should I Cook by Dr. Mark Hyman. Copyright © 2019 by Dr. Mark Hyman. Used with permission by Little, Brown Spark. All rights reserved.

Ingredients

For the Butternut Squash Purée:
  • 1 small butternut squash, about 1 pound
  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil
  • 2 tablespoons ghee or coconut oil
  • 3 shallots, chopped
  • ¼ cup chicken broth or filtered water
  • ¼ cup canned coconut cream, unshaken so cream and water are separated
  • 2 cloves garlic, sliced
For the Cauliflower Crust:
  • 1 medium cauliflower
  • 3 large pasture-raised eggs
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
  • ⅔ cup almond flour, or 1 cup chickpea flour
For the toppings:
  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil
  • 36 small to medium fresh sage leaves
  • ½ cup grated hard sheep or goat cheese
  • ¼ cup pepitas
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon raw honey, optional
  • Pinch of Maldon salt or other flaked salt, optional

Yield

Serves: 4 to 6

Preparation

To roast the squash for the purée: Preheat the oven to 425°F using a convection setting if possible. Remove the skin from the squash and chop into small cubes, discarding the seeds. In a baking dish, toss the squash with avocado oil; roast for 25 minutes or until browned. Keep the oven on.

Meanwhile, for the crust: Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. To rice the cauliflower, remove the outer green leaves and most of the stem. Chop the remaining cauliflower into medium chunks and pulse in a food processor until it resembles a fine grain. Alternatively, you can grate the cauliflower on a box grater.

Whisk the eggs in a small bowl. Add the cauliflower, mustard, oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper and mix well. Add the almond flour and mix again. Divide the cauliflower mixture among the two baking sheets, forming 2 oval crusts with hands, ⅛- to ¼-inch-thick. Bake the cauliflower crusts for 7 minutes. Remove from the oven, flip the crusts, and rotate the baking sheets between the top and bottom oven racks. Bake for another 8 minutes until golden, then remove from the oven but keep the oven on.

To finish the squash purée: Heat the ghee in a medium pan until shimmering. Add the shallots and sauté 5 minutes. Add the roasted squash, broth, coconut cream, and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes until hot. Let cool, then purée in a high-speed blender.

For the sage topping: Heat the avocado oil in a small pan. Add the sage leaves and cook for 45 seconds until aromatic and slightly crisp. Remove from the heat.

To top the pizzas: Top both crusts with the squash purée, then add the sage leaves, cheese, and pepitas. Bake for 5 minutes until the cheese is melted. Top the pizzas with the honey and Maldon salt, if desired, and serve.