Sometimes you just don’t have time to create a complicated meal. And sometimes you have the time and just don’t want to.
Today was one of those days.
Last week Smudge and I picked up a few sugar pumpkins at the farmer’s market, both for decoration and to cook with. She isn’t so sure she’s ready to relinquish her babies—Bob, Harry and Babycakes—to me and my menu making plans just. quite. yet.
So I had to be stealthy and cagey to sacrifice the pumpkins to the oven gods to create a roasted, creamy, orange base for the simplest pizza I’ve ever made.
My friend Angie gave me the tip of using naan flatbread instead of homemade pizza dough for a quick and easy solution to any pizza craving. And as a caterer with three wildly cute boys to feed, Angie knows the importance of getting food on the table post-haste.
I love fried sage and when its combined with squash I can’t get enough. But what I really love about this recipe is the melee of flavors: creamy pumpkin with crunchy fried sage topped with salty flavored dry aged cheese with spicy chipotle glaze. All of it topping a somewhat mundane whole wheat naan to create a harmony of flavors.
Again, this recipe is simple. Easy. Make it. Today.
A few tips to get you on your way:
1. Always remember to wash the outside of your pumpkin. Why? Because pumpkins grow in fields and fields are fertilized with manure and you don’t want the potential of eating any, um, residue.
2. Roasting the pumpkin ahead of time and storing in the refrigerator will make pulling this recipe together for a weeknight meal even easier. Although I’m not sure how much easier it can get besides having it delivered.
3. Substitute acorn or butternut squash for the pumpkin and give brie or tallegio cheeses a try for other cheesey toppers.
4. We’re hosting a Halloween trick-or-treat party this year and this is definitely going on the menu cut into individual portions as an appetizer since it’s great served hot or cold and has enough salty flavor to balance out the sweet honey glazed-squash and compliment a cocktail or hot cider.
5. I’ll be serving this with my creamy tomato soup. Perfect for dipping.
Pumpkin and Fried Sage Flatbread
Ingredients
- 4 naan flatbreads 2 packages
- 1 2- pound sugar pumpkin
- 30 fresh sage leaves plus 2 sprigs
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup shaved Parmesan or Aggiano cheese
- ⅓ cup honey
- ½ chipotle pepper
- kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut pumpkin in half, seed and clean. Prepare a baking sheet with foil, salt and pepper pumpkin halves and place a sprig of sage leaves in each half. Place halves skin side up on baking sheet and cook for 45 minutes or until fork tender. Let cool and remove peel, keeping pumpkin flesh whole. Cut into thin slices and set aside.
- Heat 4 tablespoons olive oil in a small sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add sage leaves and cook for 30 seconds or until lightly crisped. Remove from oil, place on a paper towel and season with kosher salt. Reserve oil.
- Add chipotle pepper and honey to a small food processor or blender and mix until smooth.
- Place 2 naan breads on a baking sheet topped with parchment paper. Layer pumpkin pieces on naan and drizzle with ¼ of the reserved olive oil. Bake for 5 minutes at 400 degrees or until naan and pumpkin is warmed through. Remove from oven, brush with chipotle honey and top with ¼ of shaved parmesan cheese, crispy sage leaves and sprinkle with additional kosher salt.
- Repeat with additional naan breads.
In the mood for more savory pumpkin? Get a taste of these great pumpkins.
Wicked Noodle’s easy, make-ahead Pumpkin Coconut Curry Chicken has all the ingredients for sharing while cozying up to the fire, allowing Kristy some downtime to download with friends and family outside of the kitchen.
Tessa pulls out all the stops making mom happy thanks to the healthy pumpkin and the kids happy thanks to the mac and cheese base in Handle the Heat’s Tortellini with Pumpkin Alfredo Sauce.
Erin’s blog Naturally Ella proudly features her vegan and gluten free Curried Pumpkin and Coconut Soup, with a great recommendation to shop beyond the grocery store and shop for curry at a spice shop or make your own to discover the most curry flavor.
Emily creates a garlic infused basil aioli tops roastey toastey veggies and sturdy fried cheese in Fuss Free Cooking’s Roasted Vegetable Plate with Haloumi.
Paula takes a radiator shaped pasta, pairs it with pumpkin and turns Bell’alimento’s Radiatori With Pumpkin Sauce into a smooth movin’ pasta machine or flamenco dancer sleeves. Her words, not mine :).
Related Recipes
5 Seasonal Spins on Pumpkin Soups
Mascarpone Pumpkin Mousse Cups Recipe
Pumpkin Gnocchi with Hazelnut Browned Butter and a Magazine Sneak Peek
Grilled Pizza and 3 Recipes to Keep You Out of the Kitchen
From Butternut Squash to Bolognese: 7 Lasagna Recipes
Thanks for reading and please keep in touch. Subscribe to Foodie Crush and follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest and check out Foodie Crush magazine and Cookie Cravings cookbook.
I made this and it was delicious! Great recipe.
I made this and it was absolutely delicious.
Hi everyone, it’s my first pay a quick visit
at this web page, and post is actually fruitful in support
of me, keep up posting these types of articles.
Thanks designed for sharing such a nice thought, post is pleasant, thats why i have
read it entirely
Thank you for any other wonderful article. The place else may just anybody get that kind
of info in such a perfect method of writing? I’ve a presentation next
week, and I’m on the search for such information.
Hi there, just became aware of your blog through Google, and found that
it’s truly informative. I’m going to watch out for brussels.
I will appreciate if you continue this in future. A
lot of people will be benefited from your writing. Cheers!
The following selection is faithfully connected to Semillon and it’s also readily created in New Zealand that
some could mistake it as being coming from there however it is actually originally grown inside
Loire Valley in Bordeaux which can be discovered near the Garonne
River, southwest France. The people creating these baskets are fully aware that the high
quality wines and cheeses shall make the whole experience worth praising and will give the best value for
the money. This would allow a person to cover one entire side
with flowers or designs and writing on the other side.
Very descriptive post, I enjoyed that bit. Will there be a part 2?
Hey terrific website! Does running a blog similar to this take a large amount of
work? I’ve no understanding of coding however I had been hoping to start my own blog in the near
future. Anyhow, should you have any ideas or techniques for new blog
owners please share. I understand this is off topic
nevertheless I simply wanted to ask. Cheers!
Hi, all is going nicely here and ofcourse every one is sharing information, that’s actually good, keep up writing.
This is required to comply with legal requirements for telemarketing calls.
Telemarketing professionals in bpo service are also required to deal with
abuysive customer that does hit oon self esteem of an individual.
Once this iss accomplished and done successfully,
then youu can get your message across.
Wow that was odd. I just wrote an incredibly long
comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t show up.
Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Anyhow, just wanted to say fantastic blog!
Wow, this piece of writing is fastidious, my sister is analyzing
such things, therefore I am going to tell her.
The grid can usually be mounted at different heights.
You will find them so much in varying sizes that they come in the range from very small and light weight to close
to home sized. The size of your grill will most likely determine the size
of your propane tank.
The admirers of these grills say that the grills’ extremely even heating and very powerful infrared sear burner makes them the best. You can also ensure your vegetables are done at precisely the same time as your steaks. Infrared grills are used mostly in restaurants because the high temperature allows chefs to grill meats to perfection within minutes.
Made pumpkin oat pancakes this morning! Will have to use my leftovers for some of these recipes. (:
this flatbread has been in my head for days. it needs to be made. that’s the only solution.
I very rarely have the enthusiasm to cook anything complicated so this is just perfect for me!
Ha, love this. I think I fall into the “usually have time but don’t want to” category. Perhaps only because I am always cooking. :) Anyway that flatbread looks heavenly!
Wow, these pumpkin recipes look amazing! I especially want to try the pizza… I’ve never tried using naan as a crust but I’m sure I’ll love it.
I love using flatbreads as a base for all my favorite toppings. These are gorgeous!!
Yummy! Love pumpkin. Love pizza and this is such a light alternative to the regular dough. And sage, don’t even get me started.
I am ALLLLLLLLLLL kinds of dying right now.
I love the idea of a chipotle glaze on this! Yum!
Your flatbread looks amazing… and so do all the other savory pumpkin recipes. I love fall food!
What a fun flatbread!
What a gorgeous looking flatbread and loving the pumpkin (savory) recipes. I need more savory ideas in my life. Sweets I’ve got covered :)
I like seeing pumpkin in savory non-dessert forms. How could this be any easier. I need to sacrifice one of my pumpkins. PS Awesome use of the word melee! (Yes, I am a word nerd).
I have done a butternut squash pizza but using pumpkin looks like the way to go!
I just did butternut squash and sage, and I love this pumpkin and sage combo. I actually have 2 pumpkins on my counter right now – they may be headed for the oven today!
I love fried sage! This looks so amazing, such a great idea. Savory pumpkin is the way to go!
Can I come to your trick-or-treat party? Or at least will you save me a slice? Looks amazing, girl! (and I think the Aggiano would be awesome here!!)