Butternut squash is the big star of fall. This squash, which is not a vegetable but assimilated starchy, is eaten pureed, seared or velouted and is renowned for its sweetness. Its slightly sweet aromas transport us and make our fall dishes delicious and comforting. Why not continue to enjoy this seasonal product by integrating it into a pizza? To change from traditional tomato or cream pizza bases, let’s prepare a butternut cream pizza base. Before getting into the kitchen, Pietro Rabboni, Sicilian executive chef of Gruppomimo restaurants, shares his preparation tips with us.
Prepare your butternut cream
There is one thing to keep in mind to make butternut cream successfully: “all creams used for pizza must be smooth and easy to spread. » To prepare a cream of this consistency, Pietro Rabboni proceeds in this way: “we cut the butternut squash evenly, we sauté the cubes in a pan with butter and a few spring onions, we add aromatic herbs (rosemary, thyme , bay leaf) and 150ml of water halfway through cooking. We mix everything when the small pieces are ready to be crushed. Add salt, pepper, a drizzle of olive oil and it’s ready! “.
Make your butternut cream a success every time
The secret to the success of this preparation lies in the texture. The chef specifies, you just have to “add the water gradually, exactly like with risotto. “. So we don’t pour the water all at once and we let the butternut squash soak it up little by little. If the texture is the key to this cream, we don’t forget to taste its preparation for perfect seasoning.
Butternut cream is prepared without cream
The height of butternut cream? It can be prepared without cream! You read correctly. Pietro explains that he never uses cream for this recipe because there is simply no need for it. “Butternut has a delicate taste, if I add liquid cream, I will make its delicious flavor disappear. On the other hand, I like to use the fat from the guanciale! »
“In Italy, there is a saying: “if you cook with liquid cream, it’s because you want to hide things”
The Best Way to Cook Butternut Squash
Pietro does not recommend any particular way of cooking butternut. For him, preparing it in a pan is the way to treat it like a risotto, and thus “give it the perfect hydration”. The chef specifies “it can be cooked sous vide, in the oven, in a pot, in the fryer, on the bbq and in many other ways”. If you cook the butternut squash in a saucepan, keep the cooking water to add to the blender!
The ideal topping for a pizza made with butternut cream
When Pietro is asked about the ingredients that go best with a butternut cream base, he answers without hesitation: “I love using gorgonzola, walnuts and capocollo! » Cheese, oilseeds and Italian cold meats: the combo for a perfect pizza.
Thin dough or thick dough with butternut cream?
Inevitably “it’s a pizza, thin crust!” » he replies. After all, let’s respect Italian culinary traditions!
The right amount of cream for a successful pizza base
To enjoy both the dough and the cream of the pizza, Pietro recommends adding 90 to 100g of butternut cream mixture. A perfect balance so that no ingredient takes precedence over another.
The little extra
Adding pieces of butternut to a pizza made with butternut cream, good or bad idea? With such a tasty ingredient, Pietro’s response was not long in coming: “It’s even a very good idea!” “.
Gruppomimo’s butternut cream pizza recipe
She was a hit last year: the butternut cream pizza from Gruppomimo. If you miss it, here is its exclusive recipe. To prepare directly at home.
Spread your pizza dough, leaving 1cm of edge (this will allow it to expand during cooking and obtain a nice airy and round pizza). Add 90 to 100g of butternut cream as a base, 50g of slices of fior di latte mozzarella, 40g of provola, 5 nice slices of coppa and let’s start cooking! In the oven, 15 to 20 minutes at maximum oven temperature, checking the cooking regularly. As soon as the pizza is golden brown, you can take it out. Add a few basil leaves for a touch of freshness and a generous drizzle of olive oil.
And there you have it, a perfectly seasonal pizza that’s a change from the traditional Margherita!
https://www.gruppomimo.com/
