For the butternut squash purée
1. Preheat the oven, aiming for 220 °C (425 °F) on your baking stone.
You can check this quickly, accurately and from a safe distance with an infrared thermometer.
2. Peel the squash and cut it into 1-inch (2.
5 centimetre) cubes and remove the seeds. Toss with olive oil and salt, then place on a dual-sided grizzler plate (or other cast-iron dish) and roast until the squash is soft and beginning to brown, about 35 minutes. Remove from the oven, place in a bowl and set aside.
3. Add the butter and the cream into a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the butter has melted, about 1 minute.
Remove from the heat and add the mixture to the roasted butternut squash.
4. Put the squash into a blender and blend until smooth.
Carefully pour the purée into a bowl and set aside.
Tip: You can make this prior to the day of cooking, as it will keep for 3 days in the fridge. This will be the pizza base sauce.
For the fried sage
1. Pick the sage off the stems and set aside.
Heat 100 grams of olive oil in a shallow pot over medium-high heat. When the oil reaches about 175 °C (350 °F) degrees, place the sage (one leaf at a time) into the pot. Fry the sage until crispy, about 15 to 30 seconds.
Tip: Be sure to have enough oil in the pot so your herbs are not touching the bottom and place each leaf away from you to avoid splatter.
2. Once cooked, remove the leaves carefully with a slotted spoon or strainer; leave the leaves to dry and cool on a plate covered with a paper towel.
For the whipped ricotta
1. Drain the ricotta.
Place it in a bowl and add the black pepper and salt to taste.
2. Whip lightly with a fork until blended.
Set aside, or place it in a piping bag for topping the pizza after it’s cooked.
For the pizzas
1. Raise the temperature of your oven, aiming for 450 °C (850 °F) on the baking stone.
You can check this quickly, accurately and from a safe distance with an infrared thermometer.
2. Place a dough ball on your lightly-floured work surface.
Push the air from the centre out to the edge with your fingers. Stretch the dough out to a 12-inch (30-centimetre) round base, and then keep your dough on the countertop, or lay the stretched dough over your lightly-floured pizza peel.
3. With the back of a spoon, evenly spread about 100 grams of squash purée over the dough.
(Note: When spreading the purée, the pressure may cause the dough to stick to the surface. To avoid this, gently pull at its edges to give it a little pop.) Add ¼ of the mozzarella.
4. Launch your pizza into the oven.
Cook your pizza for 60 to 90 seconds, turning every 20 seconds or so with a pizza peel to ensure an even cook.
5. Remove the pizza from the oven.
If using a piping bag, squeeze out little florets onto each slice and one in the middle for a total of 7. You can also add the ricotta using a spoon (about 60 grams per pizza).
6. Add a fried sage leaf to each slice (6 leaves or more if you want a more robust flavour).
7. Slice, serve and enjoy! Repeat the steps for the remaining pizzas.
