Grilled Butternut & Radicchio Pizza (vegan recipe) (2024)

Squash

• 1 small butternut squash, cut in half and seeds removed
• 4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
• 2 sprigs sage, optional
• sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Pesto (makes extra)

• 1 cup mixed basil and chard leaves
• ¼ cup walnuts
• ¼ cup pine nuts
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Dough

• 1 cup warm water
• 1 tablespoon cane sugar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 packet (2 ¼ teaspoons) active dry yeast
• 1 ¾ cups white spelt flour
• 1 cup whole spelt flour
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt

Radicchio Salad

• 1 small head radicchio, outer leaves removed, cored and sliced
• 4 sprigs sprigs flat leaf parsley, leaves sliced
• juice of half a lemon
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Assembly

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small shallot, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
• small handful of pine nuts, toasted

• You could use arugula, endive or whatever greens you like in place of the radicchio.
• If you don’t have a barbecue, preheat your oven to 450 degrees F and put everything on the pizza except the radicchio mixture and bake for 15-20 minutes.
• Advice on grilling pizza: have absolutely everything at the ready when you’re making it. Time is of the essence!

• Roast the squash: preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Season and place the squash halves face down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. In the little cavity where the seeds were, sneak the garlic cloves underneath. If using the sage, place the whole sprig under the flesh of the squash (see picture above). Roast until very tender, about 35-40 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, scrape out flesh into a bowl. Squeeze garlic cloves out of their peels into the bowl as well. Add oil, salt, pepper and a splash of water. Stir and mash with a spatula until smooth. Set aside.

• Make the pesto: place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until everything is broken up a bit. Scrape down sides of the bowl with a spatula. Put the processor on high until a paste starts to form. Scrape down the sides again. Let it rip one more time until it’s super smooth. Season to taste. Scrape into a bowl and put a dab of oil on top to preventdiscolouration. Set aside.

• Make the dough: pour the water into a large bowl. Add the yeast, agave and oil. Whisk to combine. Let the yeast proof for about five minutes or until you see bubbles forming on the surface. Add the flours and salt. Stir with a wooden spoon until combine. Knead with your hands until you have a smooth lump of dough.

• Make the slaw: combine all of the ingredients radicchio, parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper as close to serving time as possible. Store in the fridge until ready to serve.

• Make the pizza!: Get your barbecue going to a medium-medium high flame. Roll dough out to about 1/4 inch thickness on a floured cutting board, pizza peel or anything flat that you can bring out to the barbecue. Brush one side with oil completely. Either flip or gently guide the oiled side onto the grates (you can oil the grates as an extra non-stick insurance policy). Brush the top, now-exposed side of the dough with oil and put the lid down. Wait about 3-5 minutes.

• The dough should be browning and getting grill marks on one side and bubbling through on the surface. Flip it over. Spread the butternut squash and garlic mixture evenly onto the browned side of crust. Dollop the pesto on top and sprinkle the shallots on. Put the lid down and wait another 5-6 minutes before removing the pizza.

• Place pizza on serving plate/large cutting board and top with the radicchio slaw. Sprinkle with pine nuts, cut into slices and serve.

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Diet: Vegan