Pumpkin Flatbread Pizza

When you hear "pumpkin pizza," you might think of roasted squash cubes. That's not what's happening here.

Creamy pumpkin pasta sauce stands in for marinara to give this pizza a subtle fall flair. We always make a big batch, so this pizza is ready in a flash.

Plus, the pumpkin alfredo-like sauce can be used for your favorite pasta dishes, too. But it's divine as a creamy, cheesy base for pizza.

Ingredients

Here's what you need to make delicious pumpkin flatbread pizza:

Of special note:

• Flatbread or Pizza Dough - We used flatbread because it bakes quickly and also reduces the calorie count. Most any base will work, including spaghetti squash pizza crust.
• Caramelized Onions - The process to make these is discussed below.
• Spinach - Chopped kale and arugula are alternatives.
• Mozzarella Cheese - Havarti, fontina, and Gruyère would be nice too.
• Pumpkin Pizza Sauce - The ingredients to make it are shown below. You can often find this type of sauce in the grocery store in the cooler months.

Pumpkin Pizza Sauce Directions

This versatile pumpkin sauce works well in this recipe because it's smooth, just like traditional sauce. However, the consistency is a little thicker than a red sauce. If you want to thin it out, simply add a teaspoon of water. Taste test before adding more.

Here are the steps to make it:

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a medium-sized saucepan. Add garlic and sauté for about 1 minute to soften.
2. Add pumpkin puree, heavy cream, nutmeg, salt, and pepper to the pan.
3. Whisk until smooth. Bring sauce to the point where it's just about to boil and then reduce heat to simmer and cook for about 4-5 minutes.
4. Stir in Parmesan cheese.

How to Caramelize Onions

Caramelized onions pair perfectly with pumpkin in this recipe. The extra effort is totally worth it!

If you made a big batch of Slow Cooker Caramelized Onions, just defrost a portion for use in this recipe!

Otherwise, follow these steps to make them on the stovetop.

1. Melt butter and olive oil in a large skillet.
2. Add thinly sliced onions (about ⅛ inch in thickness) to the pan and coat with butter/oil mixture.
3. Cook onions for 20-30 minutes over medium heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits every 3-5 minutes. The onions need undisturbed time so they can brown. But, they can't sit for too long because they will burn. If the pan becomes too dry, then add a teaspoon of water. Picture #3 is at 5 minutes.
4. When the onions are browned to your liking, remove them from the pan. You can also deglaze the pan with a little balsamic vinegar or wine to add even more flavor.

Note: The best pan for this process is a cast iron skillet. But, onions can be caramelized in a non-stick skillet, which I used in the pictures.

How to Make Pumpkin Flatbread Pizza

Here's how to put it together.

But first, pre-cook the flatbread (or pizza dough.) We use Flatout Thin Pizza Crusts. The directions call for the crusts to bake at 375 °F for about 2 minutes!

1. Spread pumpkin pizza sauce over the flatbread.
2. Top with caramelized onions.
3. Chop spinach into thin slices and sprinkle over the top.
   • Easy way to julienne spinach: Stack 5-6 spinach leaves on top of each other, roll them long ways, and then cut them into thin slivers with a knife or kitchen shears.
4. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the top and bake for about 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.