Vegan Ricotta, Candied Chilli & Roast Squash Sauce Pizza

Our cosiest pizza yet! Nutty roast squash sauce, creamy homemade vegan ricotta and a kick of fiery candied chillies. Finish with a garnish of crispy fried sage for a vegan pizza that hits all the right spots. This recipe is by Ooni ambassador and vegan pizza extraordinaire Julian Guy of Pizza is Lovely! Try it out if you’re vegan, giving Veganuary a go, or just looking to try something new and delicious.

Makes one 12” pizza

Equipment
Blender or food processor
Oven dish

Ingredients

For the roast squash sauce
1 butternut squash, finely diced
2 tbsp water
50g (1.7oz) vegan butter 
Salt and pepper, to taste 
2 tbsp olive oil

For the candied chillies
5 large red chillies, finely sliced
60g (4.1oz) caster sugar 
60g (4.10z) water
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

For the fried sage leaves
5 sage leaves
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt

For the pizza
160g (5.6oz) Classic Pizza Dough ball (see note below)
80g (2.8oz) vegan almond ricotta (see note below)
2-3 tbsp roast squash sauce 
1 tbsp candied chillies 
3 fried sage leaves

Method
Follow our Vegan Almond Ricotta recipe to make a delicious, creamy and vegan alternative to traditional ricotta. Note that you’ll need to start preparing this at least two days in advance of when you’d like to use it on the pizza.

Prepare your pizza dough ahead of time. To make a 12" pizza, we recommend preparing pizza dough balls that are 165g (5.8oz) each – our guide to making the perfect Classic Pizza Dough covers everything you need to know.

Preheat your kitchen oven to  150°C (300°F). Place the chopped butternut squash on a baking tray, toss in olive oil and cook for 40-50 mins or until tender but not caramelized. Allow to cool.

In a blender, puree the roast squash with the water. Continue adding water until the sauce is smooth and liquid enough to use on top of a pizza - about the same as a cooked tomato sauce. Blend in the vegan butter and season to taste. Set aside. The quantity of ingredients listed here will make more than what’s needed for one pizza - store in an airtight container in the fridge for future pizzas!

Next, prepare the candied chillies. In a saucepan over a medium heat, add the sugar and water and heat until the sugar dissolves. Add the chillies, cover with a lid, and leave to simmer for 20 minutes, or until the chillies are cooked and glassy, and the syrup has taken on the flavor of the chilli. Decant into a jar or bottle, add the apple cider vinegar and stir. Set aside. Again, this recipe makes more than what’s needed for one pizza, so store in an airtight container in the fridge for when you’d like to use it next.

This pizza is finished with fragrant fried sage leaves. Place a sheet of paper towel on a plate, and heat the tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add the sage and fry for a couple of seconds on each side. Do not let them turn brown. Remove from the pan using a slotted spoon and place on the paper towel to drain and turn crispy. Sprinkle with salt and leave to cool. 

Once your pizza dough and all these pizza topping elements are ready, fire up your Ooni pizza oven. Aim for 500˚C (932˚F) on the stone baking board inside. You can check the temperature inside your Ooni quickly and easily using the Ooni Infrared Thermometer.

Using a small amount of flour, dust your Ooni pizza peel. Stretch the pizza dough ball out to to 12" and lay it out on your pizza peel. Take a spoonful of squash sauce and spread evenly across the pizza. Add a few generous dollops of ricotta, a bit of the chilli syrup, and as many candied chillies as you dare!

Slide the pizza off the peel and into your Ooni pizza oven, making sure to rotate the pizza regularly.

Once cooked, remove the pizza from the oven. While it’s still warm, crumble the crispy fried sage leaves over the top. Serve immediately and indulge in this delicious winter treat!

Looking for more vegan inspiration? Check out our recipe using this vegan ricotta for Vegan Ricotta, Spinach & Caramelised Onion Pizza, plus our full vegan recipe collection.