Autumnal pizza! I’m spending a lot of time in the south this autumn and I can’t wait to break out some sweaters and eat biscuits. My boyfriend’s goal is to go to Waffle House. If you’ve ever been, you know that it’s not the most glamorous place in the world. As a kid, I didn’t like it. My uncle would take me there and I thought it was too greasy and it was back when people could smoke in there and it smelled bad to me. Now, I think it’s a novelty and I’m super excited to get some hash browns smothered in cheese. 

Speaking of things with cheese! I have this very autumn-like pizza of you. It has my favorite squash of all—delicata with sliced eggplant, brie and lots of mozzarella. 

The delicata squash and Chinese eggplant are seared on their first side and that’s it. They cook the rest of the time on the pizza in the oven. I used store-bought pizza for this but of course, you could use your own. 

The only downfall I find with store-bought pizza dough is that they typically don’t season it good enough so I find that I always have to add a bit of salt to the edges of the crust. Other than that, they’re a time-saver for sure. 

Squash & Eggplant Brie Arugula Pizza

This Squash & Eggplant Brie Arugula Pizza is a simple but satisfying Fall vegetarian dinner option. (Recipe Credit: Adrianna Adarme of Fresh Tastes)

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons of oil
• 1/2 small delicata squash, seeds scooped and sliced
• 1 Chinese eggplant, sliced
• 1 pound store-bought or homemade pizza dough
• 3/4 cup shredded low-moisture mozzarella
• 1/4 pound brie
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• arugula for topping

Directions

1. In a medium skillet, set over medium heat, add the oil. When hot, add the squash and eggplant (you may need to do this in batches) and sear on the first side. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes and then remove the slices and place them on a plate. Repeat, if you’re doing this in batches.
2. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Stretch the pizza dough into a 13-inch circle. Place it on the parchment and then sprinkle with mozzarella, brie and then add the squash and sliced eggplant. Transfer to the oven to bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the edges are medium golden brown.
3. While the pizza is in the oven, add the arugula to a bowl; drizzle in a bit of olive oil and lemon juice and pinch of salt. Toss together until evenly coated. Top the pizza with the arugula right after it comes out of the oven and slice it up and serve.

Adrianna Adarme is a food blogger and author living in Los Angeles, California. She writes the blog A Cozy Kitchen, where she shares comforting, everyday recipes from her kitchen. She recently authored her first cookbook, PANCAKES: 72 Sweet and Savory Recipes for the Perfect Stack. She’s a lover of breakfast, pie (and sometimes even pie for breakfast), corgis and cute things. You can find her on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.