Garlic and black pepper infused béchamel, Pecorino Romano, mozzarella, pumpkin puree, and roasted butternut squash come together for a fall-inspired, cacio e pepe take on pizza.
Set fryer to 350°F. Fry bucatini until air bubbles have mostly dissipated and noodles are crispy. Drain well. Cool completely.
In a food processor, pulse noodles until uniformly small and crumb-like in texture. Add melted butter and Italian Seasoning; pulse 3 times to combine. Store ambient, in an airtight container.
Roasted Pumpkin Puree:
Set oven to 375°F. In a bowl, toss pumpkin wedges with olive oil and salt.
Place pumpkin on parchment-lined half sheet tray. Roast about 1 hour, or until soft and well caramelized. Allow to cool. Remove skin.
In a blender, combine pumpkin flesh, honey and orange juice. Transfer mixture to squeeze bottle or pastry bag and hold refrigerated until service.
Béchamel Sauce:
In a pot set over medium-low heat, melt butter. Whisk in flour until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly until roux is lightly browned.
Gradually whisk in milk. Add Cracked Black Pepper & Garlic with Sea Salt Seasoning to bechamel, whisking to combine. Hold refrigerated until service.
Service:
Set oven to 400°F. Divide dough evenly into 2 balls. Working on a lightly floured surface, stretch and shape each dough ball into a 12-inch round crust.
Spread each pizza dough with 1/3 cup of prepared Béchamel, leaving 1/2-inch border along the edges. Layer each pizza with 1/4 cup of the Roasted Pumpkin Puree, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, 1/3 cup pecorino, and 1 cup diced butternut squash. Bake until cheese is melted and crust is browned and crispy.
Garnish each pizza with 1/4 cup of the Fried Bucatini and 1/4 cup fresh basil. Serve immediately.
Chef's Tip!
Use any of our McCormick for Chefs® Pizza Dough recipes to make this take on white pizza your in-house specialty!
Check out our McCormick for Chefs® pizza doughs and other pizza recipes at www.mccormickforchefs.com
Swap in canned pumpkin puree, in place of roasting and pureeing fresh pumpkin.
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