Butternut Squash & Kale Pesto Pizza

I promise this will be my last squash post for a while.  Okay, I can't promise that, but I AM out of squash in my house for now, so the posts may slow down at least.  So, I found this recipe on Pinterest a long time ago, and I pinned it because I definitely wanted to try it out. I love squash and I love pizza!  However, I had to make some changes to make it Paleo-friendly, and I wanted to make it a bit meatier, since my husband will only eat foods that contain MEAT.  Sadly, making any pizza Paleo-friendly requires omitting the cheese, which was quite a bummer.  Luckily, I packed it so full of toppings that the cheese was hardly missed.  But if you DO eat dairy, I would highly recommend you add some cheese- mozzarella, gruyere, parmesan, whatever you like.  It would be amazing.  Okay, back to my recipe.  You can switch this up in many ways that you want, but we really enjoyed this version.  Even my husband who "hates pesto" gobbled this up before he realized it was pesto.  This is a keeper for sure!  Here is what I did:


Butternut Squash & Kale Pesto Pizza
(serves 3-4)

• 1 recipe Paleo pizza crust
• 1/2 lb bulk sausage (optional)
• 1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 2 T olive oil
• 1/2 t salt (more to taste)
• 1/2 butternut squash, diced
• 1 c chopped kale (or spinach)
• 1/4 c pesto sauce (make your own or check ingredients to ensure it is Paleo)

Preparation
Heat a large skillet over medium on the stove.  If using sausage, cook until browned, then remove to a plate.  Replace the skillet back to heat, but lower it to medium-low.  Add 1 T olive oil, onion slices, and salt and cook slowly until caramelized.   These will take about 20-30 minutes to cook them down enough.

In the meantime, preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Prepare your pizza crust recipe and bake for 5-10 minutes, until it starts to brown.
 
Once the onions are caramelized, add the other T of olive oil, then add the squash to the pan.  Cook for another 5-7 minutes, or until cooked through.  Season with more salt if desired.  Add the kale (or spinach), and cook for about 2-3 minutes, until it has wilted a bit.  Add the sausage back to the pan and stir it all together well.

Remove the crust from the oven and spoon the pesto over top.  Layer the sausage/vegetable mixture over top and spread it around evenly. Bake for about 5 more minutes, until everything has melded nicely together. (NOTE: If you are using cheese, sprinkle it on top at this point).

Remove from the oven and marvel at its beauty! Cut it up into slices and serve it up!