Besides those that make up Pizza Margherita, the toppings of which are pretty much limited to tomato sauce, Mozzarella and basil, what would be considered acceptable authentic pizza toppings in Italy, and not an American innovation (e.g. pineapple on “Hawaiian” pizza)? Is there any variety in pizza toppings in traditional Italian pizzerias (i.e. not such as might cater to a specifically tourist market)? Or is it more or less limited to “plain and simple”?
I suspect anything other than tomatoes, mozzarella and basil was first introduced in the United States
The relevant Wikipedia article mentions an early 19th-century source that describes pizza as sometimes being dressed with small fish. So anchovies, anyone?
Having been to Italy a handful of times, I can tell you that there are many different kinds of pizza offered.
The pizza margherita is specifically Neopolitan, so you would get that if you go to a Naples-style pizzeria. It’s not what you get at a standard Roman pizzeria. The fornos where I would go would have say around 6 to 12 pizzas pre-made. When you ordered, they warmed up a pre-cut square piece for you.
I don’t recall all the different varieties, but there were many kinds of meats, sausages, fish, vegetables, cheese, etc., available.
The one big difference from American pizza, I would say, is that in addition to tomatoes and cheese, you generally get one other topping. Like, just prosciutto, or just mushrooms. I didn’t see anyone ordering a pizza with multiple toppings. Oh, and I think there was often a pre-made quattro formaggi available.
Another very common kind of pizza was just plain pizza crust with a sprinkling of cheese and olive oil. We wouldn’t even consider that pizza in America.
My very ancient MIL was born in the USA to then-recent immigrants from Italy.
Other than the Margherita version, her idea of pizza has anchovies and capers on top of the tomato sauce and cheeses. To this day she enjoys that set of toppings and few others. Which she learned as a child from those parents and the whole extended fresh-off-the-boat family.
It goes the other way, too – there are some things put on pizza in Italy that we would consider weird. For example in Rome and southern Italy it’s not uncommon for pizza to come with an egg on it. See some of the photos here, for example.
One of the best pizzas I’ve ever had was made by a guy who was 100% Sicilian. It was topped with tomato sauce, gobs of mozarella cheese, anchovies, and capers.
In Venice, I had a pizza topped with tomato sauce, clumps of Gorgonzola cheese, and strips of speck.
We went on a food tour in Rome, and near The Vatican we stopped by a walk-up pizza place that was described as “the best in Rome, no really!”. I don’t recall the name, but it was reputed to be set up by a fine dining chef, and they let the crust rise for like 3 days, something something…
Anywho, the pizzas were large squares, and square pieces were cut out for selling/serving. I recall that there were a number of unexpected toppings, but that what was considered a standard for Rome was one with potatoes on top.
I wonder if there are any “American Style” pizza places that are popular with the natives?
My memory of pizza in Italy (late 90s) was ordering a 4 cheese pizza and getting bread and cheese with no tomato sauce. Thus, they consider tomato sauce to be just as much of an optional topping as pepperoni.
I’ve had “pizza” in many parts of central and northern Italy. It’s been many years, but I recall the tomato sauce was not featured on any of them. Zucchini, eggplant, various meats and cheeses. And always rectangular pieces.
I had a friend that went to Italy in the late seventies and she reported getting pizza with an egg in the center.
Not a paisano, but Italian pizza is often more about a great crust and very few toppings. As in all Italian cuisine, they make magic out of a few good quality ingredients. So sauce means tomatoes from San Marzano, or possibly basil pesto, or both. Thin slices of salami or ham. Pepperonici peppers. Maybe some capers, herbs or anchovies. Maybe no cheese at all, maybe a lot (but still balanced with the crust thickness and sauce).
We went to a traditional pizzeria in Naples, apparently frequented by the locals. Their menu was a bit limited compared to a US pizzeria but the choices were different and the combos had fewer ingredients. But the pizza was amazing!
Not pineapple. As a matter of fact, it is illegal to serve pizza with pineapple on it anywhere in Italy.
A Calabrian restaurateur I know serves seafood pizza (Frutti di Mare) exactly as it’s made in his hometown. It consists of crust, marinara, mussels, clams, squid, garlic, parsley, and explicitly no cheese. He says no cheese should ever come near a seafood pizza in Calabria. Having eaten it dozens of times, I agree.
Does he say anything about seafood pizza with white sauce and no cheese?
Not acceptable in his region. Marinara or the highway.
Too bad that isnt true. However, AVPN pizza places may be so regulated.
But yes, to get a "certified " , here in the USA, you can’t have pepperoni, but yes sausage. I am pretty sure pineapple is a no-no also. I have had AVPN certified pizza and it is very good, but doesnt taste much like we are used to.
I have been to Italy about 6 times. It is very common to find pizza quattro formaggi (four cheeses), pizza with olives, artichokes, anchovies, prosciutto, or other types of ham. Also popular is the quattro stagioni (four seasons) with a different topping in each quarter. I do not know if these are considered modern, or more traditional, but I do not think they were influenced by American innovations. In general their approach is more traditional, never sliced (unless you are getting from a stand where you buy a square slice by the centigram to walk away with), and served as a single serving. You don’t see any of these Domino’s antics like crust stuffed with cheese. I’ve never seen pineapple as a topping. And I love Italian pizza. I like an average Italian pizza better than anything I’ve had in the U.S., except for a VPN as seen above. I go against the grain in that I don’t much care for New York style pizza. I do like Chicago deep-dish pizza except it’s not pizza.