pear pizza with roasted butternut squash, bacon, and arugula

Homemade Pear Pizza is the perfect fall dinner! Made with a super simple homemade crust, fresh juicy pears, roasted butternut squash, crisp bacon, plenty of melty cheese, and topped with fresh arugula and parmesan. This is one of the most flavorful, easy meals I know how to make!

this recipe

This post is sponsored by our friends at USA Pears. All opinions are my own. 

I’ve been making fall harvest inspired pizzas like this since last fall and I’m so excited to finally be sharing the recipe with you! This is one of my favorite things to make for a quick, flavorful weeknight dinner – and every time we make it, it is gone FAST. Like, no leftovers in sight. Nada. Zip. 

Don’t be scared of homemade pizza crust – it’s really a breeze to make – and I’ll show you exactly how to do it! 

How to Make the Crust

First, stir together yeast, warm water, and sugar. Let it sit for 5 minutes, then stir in flour, salt, and olive oil – super minimal ingredient list here!

Knead the dough a few times to smooth it out into a ball, and let it rise for 45 minutes. 

While the dough rises, heat some olive oil on the stove with fresh sage leaves and a crushed garlic clove – this is going to take the place of our sauce! 

Next, press the dough out on a lined baking sheet, and brush with our sage + garlic infused olive oil. Next, add a mix of gruyere and parmesan cheese, and the star ingredient – our fresh, thinly sliced pears! The sweetness of the pears goes so well with the smoky bacon and the savory butternut squash. 

Pro Pear Tip: To check if a pear is ripe, gently apply pressure near the stem, at the top of the pear. If you feel it give under the gentle pressure, it’s ripe! 

Finish things up with some roasted butternut squash, crisp smoky bacon, and an extra sprinkle of cheese. 

Top with fresh arugula and a sprinkle of parmesan once it’s done baking, and serve immediately! Bask in the glory of all the delicious flavors of fall. This homemade pear pizza is great for weeknight dinners, a date night in, or a night with friends – but if there’s more than 2-3 of you, you’re definitely going to want to make more than one of these pizzas. 

I sliced it into 5 generous slices in the photos, but I would normally slice this down the center, and then across four times to make a total of 8 slices. Estimate about 2-3 slices per person. 

Did you make this recipe? Snap a photo and leave a comment below! 

Be sure to follow bluebowlrecipes on instagram and tag #bluebowlrecipes with your photo! You can also post a photo of your recipe to the bluebowlrecipes Facebook page. I’d love to see what you make!

Pear Pizza with Roasted Butternut Squash, Bacon, and Arugula

Homemade Pear Pizza is the perfect fall dinner! Made with a super simple homemade crust, fresh juicy pears, roasted butternut squash, crisp bacon, plenty of melty cheese, and topped with fresh arugula and parmesan.

5 from 10 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Main Dish

Keyword: Easy Homemade Pizza, Pear Pizza Recipe, Pear Recipes, Easy Fall Dinners

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Dough Rising: 45 minutes

Servings: 8 slices

Calories: 331kcal

Author: Stephanie Simmons

Ingredients

For the Crust

• 1 and 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2/3 cup + 2 TBSP warm water
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 and 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 TBSP olive oil

Toppings

• 3 slices bacon, cooked
• 1 cup butternut squash
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• pinch pepper
• 1/4 tsp thyme
• 1 TBSP brown sugar
• 1 cup gruyere cheese, grated
• 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 large pear
• 2 handfuls fresh arugula for topping after baking

For the Infused Olive Oil

• 2 TBSP olive oil
• 1 handful fresh sage leaves
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed

Instructions

• Prep: Cook bacon according to package directions (we like to do it in the oven) and place on a paper-towel lined plate to drain the grease.

  Toss the butternut squash on a parchment-lined baking sheet with the oil, salt, pepper, brown sugar, and thyme. Roast at 400 degrees F for 18-20 minutes, tossing halfway through. Set aside.
• Make the dough: Measure warm water into a medium mixing bowl. Add the yeast and sugar - stir once, gently, with a whisk and let sit for 5 minutes. It should be foamy after the time is up (see photo above in post). If it still looks like a bowl of water with granules of yeast everywhere, toss it and try again - make sure your yeast isn't expired. 

  Stir in the flour, olive oil, and salt. A shaggy dough will form. Knead it on a lightly floured counter for a minute or so, until it smoothes out. Form into a ball, and place in a bowl sprayed with cooking spray (to prevent sticking). Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let rise for 40-45 minutes. 
• Make the Sage Olive Oil: When the pizza rise time is close to finished, add a handful of fresh sage leaves to a small saucepan with the olive oil and one peeled, smashed clove of garlic. Cook over medium low heat for a few minutes to infuse the olive oil with flavor. Don't let the garlic brown. Remove from the heat, discard the sage leaves and garlic, and set the oil aside.
• Assemble the pizza: Increase oven temp to 475 degrees. 

  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. The dough should have risen to about double it's original size (see photos in post above). Place the dough on your lined pan and press it out with floured hands or a rolling pin until it's about 1/4" thick. The shape doesn't matter!

  Brush with the olive oil, add the cheese, sliced pears, bacon, squash, and an extra sprinkle of cheese over the top.
• Bake: Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the crust has turned a light golden brown. The bottom of the pizza should be crisp - you can carefully lift it using a large spatula/flipper and tap it to check - it will also have browned quite a bit underneath.
• Serve + Store: Top with fresh arugula and enjoy immediately. This pizza is best eaten on the first day, but you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Notes

NOTE: If you're stretched for time/energy, you can buy pre-made pizza dough at many grocery stores and skip the homemade crust. 

Nutrition

Calories: 331kcal

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