This pizza calls for deep frying the dough shortly before it is topped with marinara sauce, cheese, and basil, and then thrown into an oven for a final touch. The last step is said to imbue the pizza with a somewhat smoky, toasted flavor and make the crust light and airy, with a nice crunch to it.
Although it might seem like a newly-concocted dish, this deep-fried pizza specialty is actually a variety of Italian pizza that dates way back in time and is believed to have its roots in the mountains surrounding Naples. The pizza’s origins are reflected in its name montanara, meaning coming from the mountain or mountain-style pizza.
MOST ICONIC Pizza montanara
MAIN INGREDIENTS
The name of this classic Italian pizza translates to greengrocer’s pizza. It consists of a basic pizza dough which is smeared with tomato sauce, topped with mozzarella and grilled slices of eggplant and zucchini, then baked. Lastly, pizza ortolana is typically drizzled with olive oil and topped with fresh basil.
MOST ICONIC Pizza ortolana
Italy’s most emblematic culinary creation, the genuine pizza Napoletana is made with just a few simple ingredients and prepared in only two variations – marinara, the basic Neapolitan pizza topped with a tomato-based sauce flavored with garlic and oregano, and margherita, which is topped with tomatoes, mozzarella, and fresh basil leaves, a delicious combination whose colors are said to represent the Italian flag.
The crust is very thin at the base, and the dough puffs up on the sides, which results in airy crust that should have typical charred 'leopard spots' if baked properly. The origins of this iconic Neapolitan dish can be traced to the early 1700s, when what we know today as pizza marinara was first described by Italian chef, writer, and philosopher Vincenzo Corrado in his treatise on the eating habits of the people of Naples.
VARIATIONS OF Pizza Napoletana
MOST ICONIC Pizza Napoletana
These chocolate-glazed cookies are a Christmas staple in Naples and throughout Campania, but similar varieties can be found in other parts of southern Italy. Mustacciuoli are usually prepared with a combination of honey, sugar, flour, citrus zest, and spices such as cinnamon, cloves, coriander, star anise, and nutmeg.
The dough is traditionally cut into diamond-shaped pieces that are later coated with dark chocolate. Modern variations may opt for a white chocolate glaze or icing sugar, as well as the addition of candied fruit, while some regional variations add a splash of Strega liqueur.