Okay, since this blog is Maki & Pizza, you just had to know I would have some delicious pizza recipes for you. Not just any pizza, but a pizza that is absolutely infused with Japanese ingredients. My Vegan Japanese Pumpkin and Maitake Pizza is bursting with umami. I also add a bit of a spicy kick by sprinkling Japanese Schichimi Togarashi (Japanese Chili Pepper) on the Pizza.

Kabocha and Maitake Are Hearty and Warming on Pizza

Japanese pumpkin (Kabocha) is available year around but is especially flavorful in the fall. It tastes similar to acorn squash, but with a deeper pumpkin flavor and a texture that is denser, almost like a sweet potato. Maitake Mushrooms, translate to English as “dancing mushrooms” have a mellow umami flavor and a meaty texture. I wanted to experiment with these two ingredients in a pizza because of their umami flavor and because they are both hearty and warming, which is perfect for the cool fall weather.

Umami Flavor Is Key To Savory Vegan Pizza

I made this Japanese Pumpkin and Maitake mushroom Pizza vegan style. The key to a delicious vegan pizza is to make sure that you have at least one topping that is salty and has an umami flavor. Umami is often referred to as the fifth flavor (the others being sweet, sour, bitter, and salty). Umami is an essential flavor that underlies most Japanese food, and is responsible for that mouthwatering savory flavor. In this recipe, you will experience umami from the Maitake mushrooms, garlic, tomato sauce, and the vegan cheese.

旨み　

Umami:

Essence of Deliciousness

If you are in the camp of people that firmly believes that pizza is not pizza without the cheese, then I think that the perfect cheese to add would be an aged cheddar. I’m a former cheese addict and definitely was of the belief that pizza is not pizza without the cheese.

Vegan Cheese Can Make or Break Your Pizza!

I’ve come to love pizza without any cheese (dairy, vegan or otherwise). When I do add vegan cheese (like I do in this recipe), I am picky about what I use. Nothing is more disappointing when you bite into a vegan pizza covered with (umm. cough. cough. Daiya). When I’m at a restaurant, I will often will just order pizza without cheese rather than risk having a Daiya covered pizza. Try these vegan cheeses for a yummy melt:

• Follow Your Heart Dairy-Free Mozzarella: this is my preferred brand of shredded cheese when I can find it! It melts nicely, has a sweet/savory flavor and doesn’t taste like a fake processed food like I’ve experienced with some other vegan cheeses.
• Trader Joe’s Dairy Free Mozzarella Style Shreds: easy to find at any TJ’s, this has a mellow flavor and simply adds that gooey melty texture that regular cheese gives.
• Miyokos Vegan Mozzarella: this cheese has a sharper fermented flavor for those who like their vegan cheese to have a bit more acidity.

This pizza would also be amazing with a few dollops of my homemade Vegan Miso Cashew Ricotta. You could even use the Miso Cashew Ricotta as the base sauce instead of a tomato based sauce. If you try this out let me know. I’d love to know what you think.

Vegan Roasted Kabocha & Maitake Pizza

Recipe by BeckiCourse: Main, Weekend DinnersCuisine: Vegan, Fusion, American

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 Cup Kabocha Squash

• 1/4 Cup Sake

• 1 Tbsp Soy Sauce

• 1 Tbsp Sesame Oil

• 1 Maitake Mushroom

• 1/4 Cup Red Onion

• 4 Garlic Cloves

• 1 Pizza Dough (Ask your local grocery baker if they sell fresh dough (for example, Whole Foods has a nice dough in the bakery section).

• 1/2 – 1 cup marinara sauce

• 1 Cup vegan cheese (see recommendations above)

• Schichimi Togarashi to taste

• Salt to taste

Directions

• Prepare Pizza dough according to package directions. Fresh dough will need time to rise and reach room temperature. I typically place the dough on the floured plate and cover with a towel to let it rise for about 30-40 minutes before preparing the pizza.
• Preheat oven to 425 Degrees
• Slice Kabocha Squash into thin slices (keep the green outer skin on). Use a mandolin or Food Processor to get even slices. Combine the sake and soy sauce and pour over the Kabocha to marinade the Kabocha and set aside.
• Slice garlic into thin slices and place them on an oven safe pan. Toast garlic in a toaster oven or regular oven heated to 500 Degrees until lightly browned then remove and set aside.
• Heat sesame oil in a skillet and gently add kabocha slices in one layer. Pan fry on each side for 2 minutes each then remove from skillet.
• Cut the bottom of the Maitake mushroom off and discard. Separate the Maitake into smaller pieces.
• Prepare the pizza dough by stretching it gently by hand into shape (follow package instructions). I like to cut the dough in half and shape two long oval shaped pizzas (one with regular cheese and one with vegan cheese) to make Chichi (camp cheese!) happy.
• Spread sauce over pizza. Add (vegan) cheese. Add onion, kabocha slices, maitake mushrooms, and garlic. Sprinkle lightly with salt and Shichimi Togarashi (or red pepper flakes).
• Bake Pizza in oven heated to 425^o for 10-12 minutes until kabocha is lightly browned and pizza crust is golden brown.
• Remove from oven, slice, and serve!