Acorn Squash Pizza

Every week, Caroline Wright creates simple, civilized recipes for Food52 that feed four -- for under $20, in under 20 minutes.

Today: Why a seasonal pizza should be your dinner, tonight. 

Pizza night is a regular occurrence in my household, though they are never the cheese-and-meat laden pies from my college days. The preferred type of pizza in my house -- as well as in my cookbook -- are ones that show off seasonal produce in a simple and tasty way. The velvety squash and crispy crunch of crust, scattered with some chilies and a squeeze of lemon, is exactly how I want to spend my Friday night (paired with a husband, couch, and good movie, of course).

Acorn Squash Pizza 

1 pound pizza dough (or less if you prefer a thinner crust)
1 cup fresh cherry tomatoes
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 acorn squash (about 8 ounces), peeled and very thinly sliced (with a mandolin, ideally)
1 garlic clove, sliced
1 red chile, such as Fresno, sliced
2 ounces provolone picante, coarsely grated
Lemon wedges, for serving
2 tablespoons sliced basil
Salad for serving, if desired 

See the full recipe (and save and print it) here.

As a freelance food writer and cook, I first wrote this style of recipe as a column on my blog, The Wright Recipes, as an excuse to cook good food for my friends in a quick and simple way. 

Twenty-Dollar, Twenty-Minute™ Meals grew into a cookbook that was published by Workman in May 2013. The recipes found here are original, made especially for Food52 to once again celebrate simple food with friends.

Photo by Caroline Wright