Naan Pizza with Butternut Squash and Pesto

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Naan pizza topped with roasted butternut squash, pesto and gouda cheese. It makes for an easy vegetarian weeknight meal or an impressive party appetizer.

We don’t make homemade pizza often so when we do it feels like a real treat! Whether you’re having a pizza night at home or want to make a simple yet delicious appetizer to share with friends, this is a great naan pizza recipe that’s perfect for fall when butternut squash is in season.

Naan pizza topped with tomatoes, butternut squash, pesto, and cheese.

What is Naan Made Of?

As you’ll notice, we’re using naan instead of a traditional pizza crust for this recipe. If you’re unfamiliar, naan is a traditional bread served with Indian food. It’s made out of white or wheat flour and mixed with yeast, salt and water. While it is a flatbread you actually do let it rise for a few hours and then flatten and cook. I usually just buy mine from the grocery store, but if you want to take a stab at making your own, it doesn’t seem too complicated! And here’s a recipe for gluten-free naan if that’s of interest.

Fun fact, naan means bread so you don’t have to say naan bread, otherwise you’re saying bread bread!

Unbaked naan pizza on a pizza stone with tomatoes, butternut squash, pesto, and cheese.

How to Make Easy Naan Pizza

Making homemade pizza isn’t that hard to begin with, but when you use naan bread in place of dough, this recipe gets exponentially easier!

For this particular recipe start by roasting the butternut squash on a baking sheet until the squash is tender. While the squash is roasting make your homemade pesto by blending the basil, garlic, pine nuts, parmesan and olive oil until the mixture is relatively smooth.

Place the naan on a baking sheet. Sprinkle the shredded gouda over the naan leaving a border around the edge. Top with the roasted squash and diced tomatoes. Using a teaspoon, drop pesto over the naan pizzas and top with a sprinkle of parmesan. Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and the edges of the naan are lightly browned. Top with fresh basil and enjoy!

And just like that, you’ve got a fancy, filling, vegetarian pizza to enjoy. This might have to be our new Friday night tradition…

Naan pizza with butternut squash and pesto, sliced into rectangles. Fresh basil is on the baking stone.

Variations & Swaps

The best part about this recipe? It’s delicious as written, but it’s completely customizable! Rather have a different pizza sauce? Swap in tomato sauce for the pesto. Like different vegetables? Use your faves! Not a fan of gouda? Use mozzarella cheese. Want some bonus protein? Make a chicken naan pizza by adding shredded chicken. Seriously, swap in your favorite ingredients and make this recipe your own.

Three naan pizzas with butternut squash and pesto on a round baking stone.

What to Serve With Naan Pizza

These little pizzas are hearty on their own, but if you want to serve it up as an appetizer or side, here are some ideas to serve it with!

Slices of naan pizza topped with cheese, tomatoes, butternut squash, and pesto.

Are You a Pizza Fan? Here are More Pizza Recipes to Try

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5 from 5 votes

Naan Pizza with Butternut Squash and Pesto

This naan pizza, topped with roasted butternut squash, pesto and gouda cheese makes for an easy vegetarian weeknight meal or an impressive party appetizer.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 3

Ingredients  

Naan Pizza

  • ½ cup shredded Gouda cheese
  • 1 14.5 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes, drained
  • ¼ cup pesto, use recipe below
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 3 pieces of garlic naan
  • 1-2 Tablespoons fresh basil, for garnish

Butternut Squash

  • 2 cups peeled and chopped butternut squash, ¼ – ½ inch cubes
  • 1 ½ teaspoons olive oil
  • sea salt

Pesto

  • 1 cup fresh basil leaves
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 2 Tablespoons pine nuts
  • ½ cup grated parmesan
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 400°F.
  • Spread chopped butternut squash on a baking dish. Toss with 1 teaspoon oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until squash is tender.
  • While squash is roasting, make pesto by blending together basil, garlic, pine nuts, parmesan and olive oil until relatively smooth.
  • Place 3 pieces of naan bread on a baking sheet. Sprinkle gouda over naan, leaving a 1/4-inch border. Top with roasted squash and diced tomatoes.  Using a teaspoon, drop pesto over naan pizzas. Sprinkle each with parmesan.
  • Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes or until edges of the naan are lightly browned and cheese has melted. Top with fresh basil and serve.

Nutrition

Serving: 1pizza | Calories: 595kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 24g | Sodium: 1494mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 10g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Lunch/Dinner
Cuisine: Fusion
Keyword: naan pizza
Did you make this recipe?Mention @eatingbirdfood and tag #eatingbirdfood!

About Brittany

Hey there, I’m Brittany, the creator of Eating Bird Food, cookbook author, health coach and mama of two littles. Here you’ll find quick and easy recipes that make healthy fun and enjoyable for you and your family!

More about Brittany
Chicken fajita filling on a sheet pan with a wooden spoon. Tortillas are resting on the bottom of the sheet pan.
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19 Comments

  1. Yum! I thought that pesto looked good by itself, but combined with butternut squash on a pizza?! Genius 🙂 It looks incredible – I love the combination with the gouda cheese, it’s very unique.

    I’ve added it to the list! Thank you so much for using this week’s ingredient!

    Yummy baked pear!

    1. Wooo-hoo!! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Joshua. Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment and star rating. I so appreciate it!

    1. Yay!! I love the idea of mini naan pizzas. 🙂 Thanks for trying this recipe, I’m so glad you enjoyed it. And thank you for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. I so appreciate it! <3

  2. 5 stars
    I love this recipe! Then I see a recipe for “Low Carb Eggplant Pizza” & want to make that as well as I love vegetables & eggplant is one of my favorites.
    Brittany,
    I am so happy that I found your web-site. Eating healthy is fun & with all the delicious, innovative & creative recipes that you have, it is also never boring. Thank you!!!

    1. Ahh that makes me so happy to hear, Melissa! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it!

  3. 5 stars
    Made this recipe tonight and it was so good! I swear I’m losing my mind in quarantine, I definitely purchased fire roasted tomatoes at the store, but couldn’t find them in my pantry! Oh well, I doubled up on the pesto and threw some cherry tomatoes on there. It was still yummy!

    1. Haha it’s okay, you’re definitely not the only one! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Leslie. Thanks for trying it and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I really appreciate it. <3

  4. 5 stars
    This is just DELICIOUS! I subbed out marinara sauce for the roasted tomatoes & pecorino Romano & mozzarella for the cheeses. Amazing!

    1. Yay!! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks so much for trying it and for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. I so appreciate it.