If you’re planning a trip to Italy soon, you’re probably looking forward to all the delicious pizza you will be eating.
But you’re probably also wondering how to eat pizza in Italy, so that you can adhere to all the Italian pizza etiquette rules and not stand out like a tourist.
If that’s the case, then you’ve come to the right place! I’m Italian, I was born and raised in Italy, I’ve eaten my fair share of pizzas in life, and I can teach you how to do it like an Italian.
This guide will teach you how to eat pizza correctly in Italy, plus it will include the different types of pizzas you can expect to find, popular toppings, and some frequently asked questions.
So what are you waiting for? Read on, and discover to eat pizza like an Italian!
Contents
Enjoying pizza in Italy
Different types of pizza in Italy
Pizzas around the world come in all shapes and sizes. Real pizza from Italy also varies (sometimes quite a lot).
The regional cuisines of the country have their own takes on this now very globalised dish. Here are a few varieties of pizza that you should know about.
Exploring the Pantheon in Rome
Pizza Napoletana
The “true” or “classic” pizza. A pizza Napoletana is what most people think of when they think of Italian pizza.
Hailing from the city of Naples and thought to have been invented in the 16th century, there are a few rules around what constitutes a Napolitan pizza.
The mozzarella has to be Campanian buffalo mozzarella, and the tomatoes used have to be specific to the region as well (i.e. growing on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius).
The skills of the Napolitan pizzaiuolo (pizza-maker) have been inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
Pizza Napoletana usually is very thin and has a bit of a chewy crust. I’ve been told that when you pick up a pizza slice from the crust, and the mozzarella starts sliding off, that’s a sign of a proper pizza Napoletana!
Pizza in Italy is simply irresistible
Pizza Romana
This differs from the Napolitan style in a few ways. Firstly, the Romans use oil in the dough (making it crispier).
Secondly, anchovies along with mozzarella and tomatoes are often used as toppings. The base is also thinner, which often makes the crust thinner and crunchier.
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Pizza in Italy at its finest
Pinsa Romana
Also coming from Rome, the pinsa is a completely different kind of pizza (and more popular in recent years too). Usually oval-shaped, the dough is flattened by hand rather than thrown or stretched.
The dough itself is different too, being closer in quality to sourdough than usual pizza dough. Pinsa dough also has a high water content, resulting in a more crunchy finish.
Pinsa Romana only in Italy
Pizza al trancio
This literally means “pizza by the slice”. It’s a thicker kind of pizza, pre-cut into squares and sold in trays. Pizza al trancio is a casual type of eating experience.
People grab it from tiny stores or windows in the street and eat it standing up or on the go.
Often they’re just baked in bigger batches of bigger round pizzas so a few slices is all you need. It’s not uncommon to get big pizzas like this for parties, and everyone just has a few slices.
An example of pizza al trancio
Toppings vary and can include everything from mozzarella and salami to eggplant and rocket. Spontini in Milan is famous for this thick, kind of American-style pizza.
It’s not a traditional Italian pizza, but I personally really like it. I’m from Milan and grew up eating it, so I have a soft spot for Spontini, but I’ve had people critique it and say it’s not “legit”.
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Sfincione
The Sicilian style of pizza is very different to “normal” pizza. Rather than being made from pizza dough, it’s basically focaccia topped with a variety of ingredients.
These include onions, tomatoes, herbs and anchovies. Cheeses stronger in taste than mozzarella are used, but often sfincione features no cheese at all.
Pizzolu
Also from Sicily (specifically in the Syracuse area) is the delicious pizzolu.
It looks like a pizza – it’s round and is topped with olive oil and oregano – but quite often it’s stuffed like a sandwich with fillings like tomato sauce, cheese and meats.
Admiring the perfect symmetry of Galleria Vittorio Emanuele in Milan, Italy
A note on focaccias
Focaccias are not pizzas. They are often eaten the same way as “pizza al trancio”, as on-the-go quick lunches, but they are very different, both in terms of dough and toppings.
Some restaurants that make pizza will make a focaccia with pizza dough, just without any toppings, and you would usually eat it as a starter or as bread while you wait for your main dishes.
This is also called focaccia, but it’s very different from the proper focaccia that originates in Liguria (the region of Cinque Terre).
Admiring the colourful houses of Vernazza, one of the five towns along the Sentiero Azzurro in Cinque Terre, Italy
Admiring the colourful houses of Manarola, one of the five towns along the Sentiero Azzurro in Cinque Terre, Italy
Pizza sizes aren’t a thing in Italy
Don’t expect to walk into a bistro or a pizzeria and order a small, medium or large pizza. Classic pizzas in Italy all come in one standard size, and it’s very normal to eat the whole thing alone.
Some places do pizza sizes but it’s usually big takeaway-style places where you’d often get just a slice. So if you were wondering how to order pizza in Italy, don’t ask for a specific size!
Pizza night with friends, we each eat our own!
You eat pizza with your hands
How do you eat pizza in Italy? Answer: With your hands. While some Italians cut it into pieces and eat with cutlery, I would say that’s a minority.
Otherwise, it’s totally ok (and normal, in fact) to eat pizza with your hands in Italy. That’s pretty much how to properly eat pizza.
Well, unless it’s a thick American-style one, in which case that would be a “yes” to cutlery. Like with Spontini pizza, I would usually cut it up in chunks and it eat with cutlery, as it’s a bit too thick to eat with your hands.
Enjoying the views over the main beach of Amalfi in Italy
The price of pizza
The price of pizza in Italy varies, but generally it’s an affordable dish.
Depending on the exact place, I would say that the average cost of a pizza Margherita in Italy should be between 5 and 8 Euros.
It can get more expensive, of course, with fancy eateries selling pizza Margherita at a price point of 10 to 15 Euros, but beware if that’s the price you’re paying for a pizza Margherita, it’s very close to being a scam.
If you select a pizza with toppings you can expect the price to be higher, usually 9 to 15 EUR in a normal pizzeria, or more than 15 EUR if you’ve ended up in a fancy restaurant.
Enjoying drives along the beautiful Amalfi Coast, with Positano behind me
Common Italian pizza toppings
If you’re used to all sorts of elaborate pizzas with loads of different toppings (like what you’d get at Pizza Hut or Domino’s Pizza), prepare to have a completely different experience with pizzas in Italy.
Some things never go on pizza in Italy (e.g. pineapple!), but other things may surprise you (e.g. potatoes on pizza).
Some pizzerias will have large menus with loads of pizza topping options, but realistically most places will stick to those 10 or so famous pizza topping combinations that have become standard in Italy.
The classic topping is tomato sauce, mozzarella and basil, which is called a Margherita. Fun fact; the three colours create the Italian flag! And it was named pizza Margherita after Queen Margherita.
The distinctive cliffs and coastline of Capri, Italy
A catamaran cruise in Capri, Italy
There’s also the marinara, which is tomato sauce, garlic and olive oil. Depending on where you are, they sometimes also add anchovies to this pizza, for example in pizza romana.
Pizza ai “quattro formaggi” is quite common.
Meaning “four cheeses”, the toppings include mozzarella as standard, usually gorgonzola, and then the two other cheeses depend on the region: parmigiano reggiano, pecorino or maybe even a soft, creamy cheese.
This pizza often has a white base, without tomato sauce, however you can ask them to add it if you prefer your pizza red (I often do).
Enjoying a pizza with a white base and one with a whole burrata on top
Campagnola (“countryside style”) or Vegetarian pizza will usually include a variety of vegetables like courgettes, peppers, aubergines and more depending on where you are and what vegetables the pizza restaurant has available.
Pizza Capricciosa is also a popular topping. Order this and you’ll get a pizza topped with mozzarella, artichokes, ham, mushroom and egg.
Another popular pizza is the Quattro Stagioni (Four Seasons in Italian). This is probably the craziest pizza you will find in Italy, and which most resembles pizzas abroad.
Enjoying the beautiful views in Positano, Italy
In a pizza quattro stagioni the pizza toppings will be divided in four quarters, each quarter with different toppings.
These will usually be a section with artichokes, one with tomatoes and basil, one with ham and olives, and one with mushrooms.
The ingredients in theory represent the four seasons, hence why they use typical seasonal produce for each quarter.
Another classic topping worth mentioning is what will usually be called a pizza “Americana”, “Tedesca” or just “Wurstel e patatine”. As the Italian name suggests, this pizza has as toppings cut up hot dogs and French fries.
The beautiful facade of the Trevi fountain in Rome
It’s probably not what you would expect from Italy (my south American boyfriend was shocked to see it on the menu), but it’s a pizza that you will find pretty much on every pizzeria menu.
I guess it was thought for foreign tourists and children mostly (you’ll rarely see an Italian adult ordering it).
Besides these classic pizza toppings, most pizzerias will then offer loads of pizzas with simple toppings like tuna, prosciutto cotton or prosciutto crudo, vegetables, and so on.
Considering the strength of the country’s regional cuisine, and just how many pizzerias there are in Italy – around 63,000! – it’s little wonder that there are so many tasty toppings to choose from.
Sunset over Florence from Piazzale Michelangelo
Views over Lake Como from Essentia Guest House
How often do Italians eat pizza?
“Do Italians eat pizza every day?” Generally, no. I would say that people in Italy eat pizza at least once every 1-2 weeks (that’s how often I eat it anyway).
Of course, it’s very subjective, and some people may eat pizza almost every day, but I don’t think very many Italian people actually do.
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Enjoying the view from the peak of Monte San Primo in Lake Como, Italy
What to drink with pizza?
Water, beer or soft drinks (for children) are the kinds of drinks that are usually paired with pizza. Wine, not so much.
Beer and pizza is a popular combination, especially in some of Rome’s more modern, hipster eateries, for example, L’Elementare (in Trastevere) – that’s where to eat pizza in Italy if you’re also interested in drinking good quality beer.
Tasting ciuìga during an aperitivo in San Lorenzo Dorsino, Italy
Final thoughts on how to properly eat pizza in Italy
There you have it, the ultimate guide to eating pizza in Italy! Have you had real Italian pizza before? How did you find it? Let me know in the comments below!
Being Italian, I obviously eat a lot of pizza, and I take pride in this delicious food that originated in my country.
Seeing foreigners butcher pizza in Italy (for example by adding ketchup on top, this is a massive no!) is a crime, which physically hurts any Italians that see them do it.
Which is why I wanted to put together this Italian pizza eating guide.
It doesn’t matter if you’re spending one week, two weeks or are moving to Italy, eating proper Italian pizza the Italian way, should definitely be on your Italy bucket list.
So I hope you found this guide useful, and that it answered any questions you had about how to eat pizza in Italy. If you have any other questions, just let me know in the comments below!
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