The Ultimate Healthy Pumpkin Calzone: A Broccoli, Mozzarella & Ricotta Delight
Prepare to be amazed by this incredible pumpkin calzone with broccoli, mozzarella, and ricotta! It’s a dish that truly makes you go “wow” – not just for its incredible taste and rich flavors, but also for its abundance of nutrients. This recipe redefines comfort food, proving that indulgence can also be wonderfully wholesome.
There’s an undeniable allure to a perfectly crafted calzone, making it the ideal indulgent yet wholesome dinner. Here at our blog, we champion healthy comfort food, and this pumpkin calzone recipe with broccoli, mozzarella, and ricotta fits flawlessly into that philosophy. It’s not just a meal; it’s an experience that brings warmth and satisfaction to your table, proving that healthy eating can be incredibly exciting and flavorful.
Our Friends’ All-Time Favorite Dinner Treat
Ever since we first created this fantastic recipe, it has become the single most requested dish by our friends. We often get messages that go something like, “We’d love to come over for dinner – do you think you could make that amazing calzone with the pumpkin in it?” These requests never fail to bring a smile to our faces. Beyond the joy of developing and savoring delicious recipes, there’s nothing quite like the satisfaction of spoiling our friends with a meal they truly adore. This pumpkin and broccoli calzone has earned its place as a cherished staple in our culinary repertoire, and we’re thrilled to share its magic with you.
This calzone recipe is particularly enjoyable to prepare when hosting guests, primarily because of a delightful surprise hidden within. From the outside, it looks like a classic, perfectly baked calzone. But once you slice into it, you reveal a special secret in the center: half of a beautifully roasted mini pumpkin! This unexpected element adds not only a stunning visual appeal but also an incredible depth of flavor and a tender, creamy texture that perfectly complements the savory fillings.
Let me explain how this delightful creation came to be…
The Inspiration: A Market Trip & Mini Pumpkins
The journey of this pumpkin calzone began with an inspiring trip to our local market. There, a vibrant, overflowing basket of gorgeous mini pumpkins and various other winter squash caught our eyes. We were instantly captivated by their charm and versatility! We brought home an assortment of squash, eager to transform them into a variety of seasonal dishes. This culinary adventure led to some truly delicious creations, including hearty soups, a delightful pasta dish, and, of course, this ingenious pumpkin calzone recipe. The idea was to celebrate the natural sweetness and earthy notes of pumpkin, marrying it with savory elements in a unique, comforting way.
The Foundation: Our Favorite Wholewheat Pizza Dough
At the heart of this magnificent pumpkin calzone is our go-to, incredibly easy, and wholesome homemade wholewheat pizza dough. We adore this specific dough recipe so much that it has become our absolute staple for all pizza creations. Its robust texture and slightly nutty flavor perfectly complement both sweet and savory toppings, making it exceptionally versatile. This dough isn’t just about taste; it’s about embracing a healthier approach to your favorite Italian dishes without sacrificing a single ounce of flavor or satisfaction. Its simplicity ensures that even beginner bakers can achieve a perfect crust every time.
Preparing this wholewheat pizza dough is a joy in itself. Once you’ve mixed it, you simply leave it to rest and rise. This is your cue to take a well-deserved break! Go for a refreshing walk, enjoy a calming shower, get ready for your evening plans, or simply unwind with a glass of your favorite wine. The magic of the yeast will work its wonders, transforming a simple mixture into a light and airy dough that’s ready for your culinary artistry. Once your dough is perfectly proofed and ready, you’ll use it to meticulously wrap around a half of a mini pumpkin. This unique core is then surrounded by generous amounts of creamy ricotta and luscious mozzarella cheeses, complemented by sweet caramelized onions and tender, vibrant broccoli. We typically prepare two individual mini calzones, one for each person, ensuring a hearty and satisfying meal. For those who love to plan ahead or entertain, we often double the recipe. This allows us to use half of the wholewheat pizza dough for one delicious meal, and save the other half for a different culinary adventure on another evening. For instance, our wholewheat ratatouille pizza recipe uses this very same dough, so you might consider trying that tomorrow with your leftover dough!
A Culinary Symphony of Flavors and Textures
The beauty of this pumpkin calzone lies in the thoughtful combination of its ingredients, creating a symphony of flavors and textures that dance on your palate. The roasted pumpkin provides a naturally sweet and earthy base, its tender flesh melting beautifully with the cheeses. Broccoli adds a pleasant, slightly bitter counterpoint and a delightful texture, along with a boost of essential vitamins. The blend of mozzarella offers that quintessential gooey, stretchy cheese pull that everyone loves, while ricotta introduces a creamy, light element that keeps the filling moist and rich without being heavy. Caramelized onions bring a deep, umami sweetness, enhancing the overall savory profile. Seasoned with a hint of paprika, turmeric for warmth, and a touch of chili pepper for a gentle kick, along with fragrant thyme, every bite is a burst of balanced flavors. A final sprinkle of grated cheese on top adds an extra layer of golden crispness and savory goodness.
Et voilà! That’s all there is to creating this fun, delicious, and surprisingly wholesome pumpkin calzone, bursting with yummy veggies and an abundance of rich, gooey cheese!
More Pizza Recipes to Explore
- Turkish Pide
- Flammekueche (Alsatian Pizza)
- Sourdough Pizza with Mushrooms
- Sweet Potato Pizza
- Palak Paneer Pizza
- 4 Cheese White Pizza
- French Ratatouille Pizza
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Pumpkin calzone with broccoli, mozzarella and ricotta
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Author: Alix and Hugo
Total Time: 1 hour 40 mins
Yield: For 2 people 1x
Description
Learn to make this pumpkin calzone with broccoli, mozzarella and ricotta cheese.
Ingredients
Scale
For the pizza dough
- 1 cup (140g) of wholewheat flour
- 2oz of lukewarm water
- 1 tsp of salt
- 1 tsp of sugar
- 1 tsp of dried yeast
- 2 tbsp of olive oil
For the pizza stuffing
- 1 little pumpkin
- 1 little Brocoli
- 1 red onion sliced
- 1 mozzarella
- 100g of Ricotta
- 1 tsp of paprika
- 1 tsp of turmeric
- 1 tbsp of olive oil
- 1/4 tsp of chili pepper.
- 1/2 tsp of thyme
- 50g of grated cheese
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
Prepare the leaven
- Add 1 tbsp of flour, yeast, sugar and 1oz of lukewarm water in a bowl and combine the ingredients together.
- Leave the mixture to rest for 10-15 minutes.
- The mixture is ready when it forms a brown dough with bubbles.
Prepare the dough
- Add flour and salt in the bowl of your mixer and mix slowly.
- Pour the leaven in the bowl and continue to mix slowly.
- Pour the olive oil and continue to mix.
- Pour the rest of the water in little by little and continue to mix slowly for 10 minutes.
- The dough must be smooth and springy.If the dough is too dry, add more water. If the dough is too wet, add more flour. Remember, whether adding water or flour, always add little by little.
- Cover the bowl with the dough inside and leave to rest in a warm place for at least one hour. (You can create a warm environment in your oven by heating your oven on low heat (80°F/30°C) for approximately 5 minutes, then turning off your oven and leaving the bowl to sit inside.)
- The dough will double in size.
Prepare the pumpkin
- Preheat oven to 360°F.
- Peel the pumpkin.
- Cut in half and remove the seeds.
- Sprinkle the pumpkin with paprika and turmeric.
- Pour a half tablespoon of olive oil on each half pumpkin.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Put in oven until the pumpkin softens.
Prepare the additional stuffing
- Meanwhile, cut the broccoli.
- Heat a pot of water with salt.
- Heat olive oil in a frying pan on medium heat.
- Add the onion, chili pepper and thyme.
- Add the broccoli when the water boils and cook for 2 minutes.
- Remove the brocoli from the water and add it with the onion and cook for 5 minutes.
Prepare the pizza
- Preheat oven to 570°F (300°C).
- Divide the pizza dough into 2 equal balls.
- Roll out the dough with a rolling pin to get 2 pizzas of 6 inches each.
- Cover the dough with ricotta cheese, salt and pepper.
- Put half of the broccoli and onion mix in the center of each pizza.
- Put a half mozzarella ball cut into slices on top og the broccoli mixture.
- Put the pumpkin on the broccoli mix.
- Fold the dough around the pumpkin.
- Add grated cheese on top.
- Put it in the oven for 8-10 minutes.
- Serve with arugula.
- Prep Time: 40 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Healthy pizza
- Cuisine: Italian