Name: Thin-Crust Pizza with Pumpkin, Cashew Ricotta, and Apple-Fennel Slaw
Total time: 10 h 15 min
Ingredients: ⅔ cup raw cashews; 3 tablespoons water , plus water for soaking cashews; 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil; 1¼ teaspoons lemon juice , plus extra for seasoning; ¼ teaspoon table salt; 1 recipe recipe; 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil , divided, plus extra for drizzling; 1 large shallot , minced; ¾ teaspoon table salt , divided; 1 garlic clove , minced; 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice; 1 cup canned unsweetened pumpkin puree; 2 teaspoons maple syrup , divided; ½ teaspoon pepper , divided; 1 Granny Smith apple , cored and cut into 2-inch matchsticks; 1 small fennel bulb , 2 tablespoons fronds chopped, stalks discarded, bulb halved, cored, and sliced thin; 1 tablespoon cider vinegar; 1 teaspoon whole-grain mustard; ¼ cup dried cranberries

Thin-Crust Pizza with Pumpkin, Cashew Ricotta, and Apple-Fennel Slaw

By Carmen Dongo

Published on January 27, 2022

Time

1¼ hours, plus 9 hours soaking and resting

Yield

Serves 4 (Makes two 13-inch pizzas)

Ingredients

Cashew Ricotta

⅔ cup raw cashews 3 tablespoons water, plus water for soaking cashews4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil 1¼ teaspoons lemon juice, plus extra for seasoning¼ teaspoon table salt

Pizza

1 Thin Crust Pizza Dough recipe 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus extra for drizzling1 large shallot, minced¾ teaspoon table salt, divided1 garlic clove, minced1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 1 cup canned unsweetened pumpkin puree 2 teaspoons maple syrup, divided½ teaspoon pepper, divided1 Granny Smith apple, cored and cut into 2-inch matchsticks1 small fennel bulb, 2 tablespoons fronds chopped, stalks discarded, bulb halved, cored, and sliced thin1 tablespoon cider vinegar 1 teaspoon whole-grain mustard ¼ cup dried cranberries

Before You Begin

We like our recipes for Pizza Dough and cashew ricotta, but you can use 1¾ pounds store-bought dough and ⅔ cup store-bought dairy ricotta, if you like. If you don't have a baking peel, use a rimless or overturned baking sheet to slide the pizza onto the baking stone. If you don't have a baking stone, you can use a preheated rimless or overturned baking sheet; however, the crust will be less crisp. See the Seeded Pumpkin Crackers to use up the remaining canned pumpkin.

Instructions

for the cashew ricotta

Place cashews in bowl and add water to cover by 1 inch. Soak cashews at room temperature for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours. Drain and rinse well. Process cashews, water, oil, lemon juice, and salt in food processor until smooth, about 2 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Adjust consistency with additional water as needed. Season with salt, pepper, and extra lemon juice to taste. (Ricotta can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.)

for the pizza

One hour before baking, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position, set baking stone on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. Divide pizza dough in half and shape each half into smooth, tight ball. Space dough balls 3 inches apart on lightly oiled rimmed baking sheet, cover loosely with greased plastic wrap, and let rest for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in 8-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add shallot and ¼ teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and pumpkin pie spice and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in pumpkin and cook until darkened slightly, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly, about 10 minutes. Stir in cashew ricotta, 1 teaspoon maple syrup, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper; set aside. Toss apple, fennel bulb, vinegar, mustard, remaining 2 tablespoons oil, remaining 1 teaspoon maple syrup, remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, and remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper together in bowl; set aside.

Heat broiler for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, coat 1 dough ball generously with flour and place on well-floured counter (keep second dough ball covered). Using your fingertips, gently flatten dough into 8-inch round, leaving 1 inch of outer edge slightly thicker than center. Using your hands, gently stretch dough into 12-inch round, working along edges and giving dough quarter turns as you stretch. Transfer dough to well-floured baking peel and stretch into 13-inch round.

Spread ½ of pumpkin–cashew ricotta mixture over dough, leaving ½-inch border. Slide pizza carefully onto stone and return oven to 500 degrees. Bake until crust is well browned, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating pizza halfway through baking. Transfer pizza to wire rack, sprinkle half of apple-fennel mixture over pizza, and let cool for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with half of fennel fronds and half of dried cranberries and drizzle with extra oil; slice and serve.

Heat broiler for 10 minutes. Repeat process of stretching, topping, and baking with remaining dough and toppings, returning oven to 500 degrees when pizza is placed on stone.