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. Almost 200 years later, in 1889, the premier Neapolitan master pizzaiolo Raffaele Esposito added mozzarella to the mix and invented the margherita, which is now generally cited as the first modern pizza. Originally dubbed la pizza tricolore, Esposito’s creation is said to have been made in honor of and named after Margherita of Savoy, the Queen consort of the Kingdom of Italy, who was visiting Naples at the time. In 2010, as one of Italy’s most popular foods worldwide, pizza Napoletana was officially recognized by the European Union and granted the designation of Traditional Specialty Guaranteed. And remember, a good pizza Napoletana doesn't need any additions other than the designated toppings.
Tomato sauce, cherry tomatoes, and buffalo mozzarella are the standard toppings for pizza bufalina. Mozzarella di bufala, as they call it in Italy, is a type of mozzarella prepared with the milk of the Italian Mediterranean buffalo. Renowned for its rich flavor and tender texture, buffalo mozzarella gives this traditional pizza variety its distinctive, one-of-a-kind flavor. Pizza bufalina is typically finished off with a drizzle of olive oil and a handful of fresh basil leaves before serving.
Quattro formaggi is a variety of Italian pizza topped with a combination of four kinds of cheese, as the name suggests. Traditionally, the cheeses should be mozzarella and three other, local cheeses, depending on the region, such as Gorgonzola, Fontina, and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Optionally, the pizza can be further enriched with the addition of basil and tomato. The combination of cheeses gives the pizza an unusual, unique flavor that is loved by cheese-aficionados all over the world.
Inspired by another Italian dish - the traditional Southern Italian specialty, known as parmigiana di melanzane or eggplant parmesan - pizza parmigiana is a tasty twist on this dish that uses the dish's main ingredients as toppings. This pizza variety is traditionally topped with tomato sauce, eggplant slices (which are usually fried), mozzarella cheese, and plenty of grated Grana Padano cheese. The tomato sauce is usually enriched with garlic, onions, oregano, and basil. Once baked, the pizza is typically drizzled with olive oil and garnished with fresh basil leaves on top.
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