Pizza – we all know it, now – is a traditional Italian food. To be more specific, pizza originated in Naples, but in modern times it spread through Italy and became a sort of national banner, before becoming an international favorite.
Just because pizza became a food eaten all over the world, it is sometimes hard to clearly see the boundary between a traditional recipe and a newly invented one (even because pizza is always good and new topping recipes often deserve attention).

Here are 5 (+1) traditional topping recipes Italians use to eat, too, and they all are suitable for vegetarians.

Now that WHO confirmed what many already said, and namely that consuming too much meat can cause diseases, indeed, it is even more important to pay attention to what we eat.
This doesn’t mean that we all have to forget meat’s existence and that we’ll die next time we’ll have a t-bone steak, but just because we can’t keep on eating meat blithely (especially for environmental reasons, too), cutting meat off from our pizzas can be a good way to reduce its consumption without suffering for the loss.

Try these five (plus one) tasty, traditional veggie pizza toppings and you’ll see!

#1 Margherita

The queen of pizzas, the one that was invented for a queen and that made a myth out of a poor man’s food.
Just spread tomato sauce, extra-virgin olive oil, fresh basil and mozzarella cheese on the top of your pizza, and enjoy a true taste of Italy. But be sure you are using original “Mozzarella SGT” or “Mozzarella di bufala campana DOP”!

#2 Quattro formaggi

This topping’s name means “four cheeses”, and indeed it’s a “pizza bianca” (“white pizza”, so pizzas without tomato sauce are often called) topped with cheeses only.
Obviously, cheeses can be chosen according to one’s taste, but they usually are Mozzarella, Gorgonzola, Emmentaler (or Gruyere) and grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
It is a very tasty pizza, and those who don’t love cheeses usually find it hard to sit by someone who’s eating it, especially because of the smell of Gorgonzola (a typical Italian blue cheese). You can replace one or more cheeses with the ones you prefer or that don’t make your wife write the draft of a divorce settlement on the napkin, but just keep in mind that this is the most typical version.
#3 Verdure grigliate

This is pizza with “grilled vegetables”, but don’t be impulsive: not any vegetable can be grilled and used. Usually, grilled vegetables for “verdure grigliate” pizza are only zucchini, aubergines and peppers!

#4 Puttanesca

Better not to explain the meaning of this name, because it is pretty vulgar.
Despite this, it is a pizza that deserves to be chosen, because it is topped with olives and capers (in addition to tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese). It may taste salty, but it’s not hot, and if you use good Italian ingredients really tastes great. Tip: opt for salted capers, not for pickled ones; they are more expensive, but definitely delicious.

#5 Alla Norma

This pizza is the “baked version” of a popular dish from Sicily, pasta alla Norma, a pasta (usually Maccheroni or Spaghetti) dressed
with tomato sauce, dry ricotta cheese, deep-fried aubergines and basil.
So, these are the ingredients of one of the most delicious vegetarian toppings for pizza.
Some use grilled aubergines instead of deep-fried ones, to make it lighter; some use smoked ricotta cheese because dried one is not easily available outside of Sicily, or replace it with smoked scamorza, but basically, when you order a “pizza alla Norma”, you’ll be given a pizza with tomato sauce, aubergines, basil and a not-too-tasty cheese, yet tastier than mozzarella. And you’ll be very happy of your choice.

#PLUS ONE: Marinara

We already talked about it: tomato sauce, garlic, oregano and extra-virgin olive oil: you don’t need more to get a traditional, delicious, vegetarian pizza. Plus, it is also dairy-free, so it is also suitable for vegans!

Post Views: 824