Pizza Toppings
- Tracy Scheckel
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
As pizza purist, I cannot condone toppings like pineapple and ham on a pizza, but if that's your pleasure, have at it, just don't serve it to me or call it pizza in front of me.
When I was a kid, we used to get a 'Sicilian with the works' from Paisano's Pizza in Lyndhurst, NJ. It would be close to 2" thick and loaded with sliced sausage, meatballs and pepperoni, mushrooms, onions, and red and green peppers. (if it weren't for us kids, there would have been anchovies too.)
As much as this is sacrilege in my book, thanks to the sheer girth of each slice, you were pretty much forced to eat with a fork and knife -- or you needed to be really good at your craft so you didn't wear half of the toppings when you ate a slice by hand.
Back in my youth, there was no such thing as white pizza and never would anyone consider "Hawaiian" buffalo, BBQ or Mexican toppings for a pizza -- sorry, that's just not pizza to me.
Pizza Toppings Today
Fast forward about 45 years, and just like other simple Italian food has become more sophisticated in our foodie-driven world, so have pizza toppings. Eggplant, roasted garlic, anchovies, sun dried tomatoes, spinach, ricotta, any number of different cheeses, pepperoncini, portabella mushrooms, balsamic glaze, broccoli rabe, bacon, fresh basil, prosciutto, fresh tomatoes, the list goes on.....
There really is no right or wrong here, and I feel like there are seasons to pizza toppings. In the summertime when I am likely to be baking pizza on the grill, I am more likely to use fresh tomatoes, basil, and other raw fresh veggies, and in the winter when we all look for heartier things, there is more likely to be meats and thick sauces and such. Although in most cases, a simple marinara sauce is my go-to, I have amped things up with a full on Bolognese when I'm looking for winter stick-to-your-ribs goodness.
When assembling a pizza, it's important to be cognizant of how your toppings will bake in a high oven for a relatively short time.
Meat Toppings
I always use cooked bacon, sausage or meatballs when using them as a topping.
In the case of pepperoni and prosciutto, since they are cured and I don't want them to get too tough, I layer other toppings on top of them to shield them from the high heat.
Vegetable Toppings
Raw spinach and basil are kind of delicate and I tend to shield them when topping a pizza. If I've sauteed the spinach in olive oil, I am less concerned about it getting dried and crusty. I employ the same thinking for broccoli rabe.
For peppers and mushrooms, I tend to precook them in the winter but leave them raw in the summer; for some reason I prefer them al dente on a summer pizza and want them soft in the winter. (I am also one of those people who does not enjoy salad in the winter; cold and crunchy are not what I want in my mouth when the ground is cold and crunchy under my feet).
Cheeses and Sauce Topping Variations
I like sharper cheeses like Asiago, Romano and even Gorgonzola on a focaccia, and milder varieties like mozzarella and Parmesan on traditional pizza. Not being a fan or ricotta, I save that to lone the inside of a calzone, but there are plenty who are happy to dollop it on pizza.
When I allow myself to get past my pizza purist, I will play with varieties in sauces and have even used a variation on Alfredo -- actually more of an Aioli. On a really daring day, I have even used hot honey to accompany mushrooms, bacon, and some garlic cream sauce or lemon aioli. (remember that King Arthur's recipe?) I know, crazy right!?! Another fun thing to play with is a balsamic aioli under summer fresh veggies or a balsamic glaze drizzle after baking.
Pizza Dough as the Canvas
If you think of it that way, whether it's a round thin pizza, thick rectangle, deep dish in a pan, or whether it's wrapping or enveloping the toppings into a stromboli or calzone, the dough is the canvas on which you create the masterpiece. Rather than a traditional recipe (because one doesn't exist), you're now privy to some of my favorite toppings. Go forward, create the pizza of your dreams!
