When it comes to pizza, virtually the sky’s the limit when it comes to what kind of version you’d like to get. After all, you can put in just about any sort of toppings you want on the dough. And then you can even dictate the thickness and quality of the dough itself, while some pizza parlors may even offer crusts stuffed with cheese or even meats (like hotdogs).
The range of toppings can include pineapple, which leads to the so-called Hawaiian pizza. Then you have the Mexican pizzas, which uses traditional Mexican ingredients (such as barbacoa, Mexican cheeses, and peppers) as toppings.
But these aren’t traditional pizzas, at least not like what you might encounter in Italy. So, here’s a quick primer on the traditional Italian pizzas that you should try next.
Margherita
You probably have tried this pizza before. It’s a classic version that generally features fresh mozzarella with basil and crushed San Marzano tomato sauce, along with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Plenty of pizza parlors offer this, so this is quite easy to find. But not all the other Italian pizzas are as common, especially outside Italy.
Pizza Quattro Formaggi
This is the type of Italian pizza that features 4 different types of cheese. It’s usually mozzarella, and then 3 other types of local cheese depending on the region you’re in. So, it can be mozzarella plus Parmigiano-Reggiano, Fontina, and Gorgonzola. In some cases, they might also add some tomato and basil to enhance the flavor of the cheese.
If you’re stuck in the US, then you might want to try going to Newk’s, which offers many pizzas to choose from in their menu. Newk’s has the margherita on its menu, along with the Five Cheese Pesto Pizza. This gets you 5 cheeses (mozzarella, provolone, parmesan, smoked Gouda, and goat cheese), plus sun-dried tomatoes, basil pesto, and the fresh basil garnish.
Caprese Pizza
The traditional toppings for this pizza are cherry tomatoes, mozzarella di bufala, fresh basil leaves, and olive oil. Supposedly, this pizza started out as a great way to use up leftover tomatoes. Some pizza makers also try to finish off with a drizzle of balsamic reduction on top.
Pizza Capricciosa
Yes, it literally translates as the capricious pizza, referring to how the toppings can change depending on the region. In fact, the recipe in a particular region can even change.
Despite this capricious nature, it does have some regularly-appearing ingredients. These include the ham and mozzarella, along with mushrooms, tomatoes, olives, artichokes, and even a sliced hardboiled egg. However, other pizza makers might add sausages and capers, and you might even find anchovies.
This type of pizza was extremely popular back in the 1980s, but it never really went out of favor. In fact, it’s even becoming more popular in recent years.
Pizza Ai Funghi
Yes, the mushrooms are front and center on this pizza. You usually find both porcini mushrooms and champignons, with mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce, parsley, and olive oil. If you can’t resist mushrooms on your pizza, this should be one of your favorites.
Pizza Primavera
You have the classic pizza dough, and then you top it with mozzarella before you bake the whole thing. Then you add the fresh ingredients on top, which usually include prosciutto, arugula, cherry tomatoes, and shavings of parmesan cheese.
Pizza Romana
This is sometimes called scrocchiarella, which can be translated as the “crunchy one”. Its main feature is its thin crust that’s so crunchy that it’s like a cracker. To come up with this kind of base, they add olive oil to the basic dough and there’s less water in the mixture. They keep the hydration to just 55% at the most.
Since the consistency isn’t as soft, it can’t be shaped by hand and it can’t be tossed in the air. The chef needs a rolling pin for this one. They then cover the dough with a thin layer of tomato sauce along with their preferred toppings. These toppings can change a bit, but the usual recipe calls for anchovies, mozzarella, chopped basil, pecorino, and capers.
Pizza Prosciutto
Here, the pizza features thin slices of salty cooked ham, or prosciutto cotto. Then you have some creamy mozzarella cheese, along with a robust tomato sauce spread all over the dough. It’s usually drizzled with some olive oil, seasoned with oregano, and then garnished with some fresh basil leaves.
Of course, that’s just the very basic recipe. Some recipes have additional toppings as well, including olives, mushrooms, and artichoke hearts.
Pizza Ai Frutti Di Mare
The traditional recipe uses some type of seafood (usually mussels, squid, and scampi), and then they don’t add the cheese. They just have the seafood on the dough along with the tomato sauce. Top it off with a drizzle of olive oil, and then you just enjoy this with a nice chilled glass of white wine!