When my vegetarian husband was training for Ironmans, I was always finding new ways to sneak protein into his diet. Using hummus instead of a traditional tomato sauce was one good trick. Paired with sweet roasted butternut squash, I promise you'll love this protein-packed combo. Our paleo version features salmon with some coconut-mashed butternut squash.
Pizza dough - Cover in flour and let rest for at least 30 minutes outside of fridge before rolling out. This is tip #1 to good pizza - resting dough gives gluten time to chill out, which makes the dough much more pliable.
Shallots / Cheese - Prep as directed. (Can be done up to 3 days ahead)
Whisk together shallots, vinegar, honey, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 425F (218C) degrees. Position top rack so it's at the very top. This is tip #2 - heat rises, so for the most golden crust use the top rack.
Brush sheet pan with olive oil. Using hands, stretch out pizza dough to cover a sheet pan - it should be pretty easy to do if you let the dough rest. Brush the border with a bit of olive oil and then bake on top rack for 3 minutes without toppings. This is tip #3 - this solo time in the oven gives the dough time to crisp up; if you put toppings on now, your crust may get soggy.
Using a spatula or large spoon, cover crust with hummus and then sprinkle on mozzarella, shallots, and leftover butternut squash. Now bake for another 10 minutes on the top rack. Add parmesan and broil pizza for 1 to 2 more minutes before taking out of the oven. You should have melted cheese and a beautiful golden crust!
Toss vinaigrette with apples, spinach, and walnuts. Serve salad with hot pizza.