Puttanesca
Originally from France, this Puttanesca pizza is a yummy vegetarian pizza you will likely enjoy.
Created as described, the below pizza provides a lush taste paired with a supreme smell to delight you.
Best made with the best toppings and pair these with a perfect base for you and friends to savor a perfect pizza meal together.
If you have a taste for Vegetarian pizza that has Tomato sauce then this pizza will be tempting.
Pizza in France
The French love their food. Their most popular foods include bread, pastries, Cheese, soups and seafood. In a 2018 study, 96% of French people said they enjoy pizza with 84 percent ordering pizzas at home.
Take a look at some of the other pizzas from France here.
| Origin | France |
| Type | Vegetarian |
| Sauce | Tomato Sauce |
Puttanesca Pizza Recipe
Below we’ve created a recipe for you to make a delicious homemade Puttanesca Pizza using a wood fired pizza oven or your kitchen oven.
| Dough | 2 hours |
| Assembly | 10 minutes |
| Baking | 12-20 minutes |
Puttanesca Pizza Ingredients
Choose enough of the pizza toppings for the amount of pizzas you plan to make. The dough and sauce amounts below are for 3-4 medium sized pizzas, so scale up or down, based on your requirements.
Simple Pizza dough
- 2 2/3 cups (400 grams) 00 fine flour
- 250 ml (1 cup) lukewarm water
- 7 grams (2 tsps) dried yeast
- 2 tsps salt
- 1/4 cup (3 tbsp) olive oil
Puttanesca Pizza Toppings
Toppings used in this pizza recipe, are;
- Gorgonzola
- Mozzarella
- Hot Chili Peppers
- Pine Nuts
Tomato Pizza Sauce
- 1 (6oz/170g) can of tomato paste
- 1 can (15oz/420g) diced or crushed tomatoes
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 small onion
- 1 tbsp dried Italian herbs
Want to try a different sauce? See our article on the different types of pizza sauces.
TIP
You can click on any of the tags at the bottom of this page, to find other pizzas besides Puttanesca Pizza, that use that topping.
Pizza Dough Method
Either make your own pizza dough following the simple steps below, or buy a premade pizza base at your local store.
- Whisk the lukewarm water and yeast in a plastic or glass jug. Let the mixture stand for approx. five minutes.
- Add salt and flour in a large bowl. Create a hollow well in the middle and gently pour the liquid yeast mixture and oil.
- Using dough mixer or hands, gently mix dough until smooth. Place pizza dough on a lightly floured work surface and then knead by hand for five minutes.
- Lightly oil a bowl, and place mixture in and cover with plastic wrap. Leave in a warm place to rise until the dough doubles in size.
- Pour dough mix out onto a clean, floured surface. Now hand knead gently for another five minutes.
- Sprinkle a little flour on the bench before rolling to prevent dough from sticking.
- Divide dough mixture into equal sized balls. Hand stretch or roll out the bases to the expected size.
TIP: We have other dough recipes if you would like to try your hand at sourdough, poolish or more.
Tomato Pizza Sauce Method
It takes around five minutes to make this tasty pizza sauce following the simple steps below, or you can purchase a bottle of pizza sauce at your local shop.
- Mix ingredients in a large bowl.
- Pizza sauce should be reasonably smooth.
- Let sit in the bowl for 5 minutes.
- Your sauce is now ready to add to your pizza bases.
- Sauce will last up to 3 days in fridge.
Use a ladle or back of a serving spoon to spread the sauce onto your freshly made dough, ensuring you don’t damage the dough.
Preparing Puttanesca Pizza
Preheat your oven to roughly 500 degrees.
Roll out the dough to either slightly smaller than your pizza stone or tray.
Alternatively, if you have a pizza peel, roll out to be smaller than that.
You start by spreading the sauce around. This pizza calls for Tomato Sauce. Spread the Tomato Sauce evenly using the back of a large spoon or ladle.
Then start adding the largest ingredients, then work your way down. The last is any cheese topping, such as Mozzarella, which you should evenly cover the other toppings with, and then finally any herbs.
Toppings to put on this pizza are;
- Gorgonzola
- Mozzarella
- Hot Chili Peppers
- Pine Nuts
This pizza is mouthwatering as is, or you could enjoy it with a fresh salad?
Oven time
Put the Puttanesca pizza in the middle of your oven (on a pizza steel if you have one) and set timer for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, open the door and see how cooked pizza is.
Pizza should be ready within 15 minutes. However, allow it to cook to personal taste.
About Gorgonzola
Often referred to as blue cheese, Gorgonzola is made from cow’s milk, boasting milder flavours than those of other blue cheeses. What sets it apart from other blue cheeses is its deep roots in Italian artisanship, still influencing production today.
Gorgonzola shares many of the traits seen in similar cheeses from other culinary cultures, with the level of intensity and sharpness often being the strongest difference.
Pizza Tools
When making Puttanesca Pizza, I always recommend that you use whatever kitchen items you have. My basic pizza tools are…
Dough Mixer
OK, so this isn’t vital, but if you make enough pizza, breads, etc it is worth investing in a good mixer for your dough.
Mesh Sieve
You will find having a seive such a useful element for all your baking, not just for pizza. It’s great to filter all flours through a fine mesh sieve before adding to recipes.
Pizza Peel
A pizza peel aka paddle is a crucial tool for those who are making pizza often.
Pine Nuts
With a soft texture and sweet, buttery flavor, Pine Nuts are often toasted lightly to bring out their delicious flavors further. Pine nuts are eaten by many cultures around the world and are known by many names.
They are also known to increase energy levels, thanks to their iron, protein and magnesium levels. They also contain vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant.
Pizza Facts
Here are a few interesting pizza facts…
Largest pizza delivery
The largest pizza delivery was organised by Pizzas 4 Patriots (USA), who sent 30,000 pizzas with DHL Express to the United States Armed Forces, in Kandahar Airfield, Bagram Airbase and Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, on 4 July 2012. The 12 inch pizzas were made by Great Kitchens, Inc. in Illinois in June 2012.
Salami in space
Pizza Hut made history when they sent a 6-inch salami pizza via a Russian rocket to the International Space Station. Russian cosmonaut Yuri Usachov munched on the treat and even took marketing photos.
Ah, a museum
There is a Pizza museum in Philadelphia called Pizza Brain. It contains one of the world’s largest collections of pizza themed memorabilia. Oh and you can buy and eat pizza there too.
Pizza making FAQ
Want to know how to make fantastic pizza at home? Here are some helpful answers to the most frequently asked questions.
When do I add ice cream on a dessert pizza?
With ingredients such as ice cream, cream and even fruits, it is normally best to cook the pizza with the harder toppings, and then add these toppings after baking, so they don’t burn or melt everywhere in the oven.
Can I substitute pizza sauce with regular ketchup or pasta sauce?
You can try, however you probably won’t enjoy the result. Both ketchup and pasta sauces are typically too runny to use as pizza sauce. You are better using tomato paste, or at least mixing tomato paste in with your ketchup, to get a thicker sauce. Half the taste of pizza sauce is in the garlic and herbs, so don’t forget to add those as well.
How many slices are in a pizza?
A typical pizza has either 6, 8 or 12 slices, depending on the size and who cuts it up.
Have you made Puttanesca Pizza?
Let us know what you think of Puttanesca Pizza! Tag us on our Pinterest, Facebook or Twitter and let us know what you thought of it! I’d love to know.
Featured image: Source
