Butternut Squash, Dandelion, and Mushroom Flatbread

Flatbreads are a quick and easy way to put together a pizza-like dish without worrying about making dough or long baking times. You can add anything to your flatbread, but one of the benefits of flatbreads is you don’t have to use the traditional pizza combination of tomato sauce and cheese, which makes flatbreads even more fun for vegetarians and vegans. Just begin with a base and top with all the vegetables you desire. This flatbread has a simple olive oil crust and uses the butternut squash as a base, but there is really no spiralized vegetable you can’t use for this appetizer.

Makes 2 flatbreads

1 large butternut squash

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 large whole-wheat pitas

11⁄2 cups dandelion greens, stems cut off and greens cut in half

4 cloves garlic, sliced

2 tablespoons chopped sage

1 cup sliced cremini mushrooms

Salt

Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut the bulbous end off your butternut squash and set aside. You will only be using the longer end to spiralize. Peel butternut squash until the top, tough surface is completely removed; then slice in half crosswise and cut off the remaining end. Spiralize using a small-noodle blade.
2. Place noodles on an aluminum-foil-lined baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Bake for 10 minutes.
3. Place 2 pita breads on a baking sheet. Brush with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Divide squash noodles evenly and top pita breads with the squash. Cover with dandelion greens, sliced garlic, chopped sage, and sliced mushrooms. Drizzle with extra olive oil if desired. Top with a dash of salt and pepper. Bake for 10 minutes. Serve warm.

Substitutions for a Large Pita

If you can’t find a large pita, you can use other types of bread for your flatbread base, including focaccia, grain tortillas, or lavash.