Most people love pizza. It is by far one of the most popular dishes around the world, wouldn’t you agree? Historians say that the origins of pizza date back to the first century BC where a flattened bread was used by European cultures. The history of pizza comes from the 16th century arrival of tomatoes from the New World. Who knew tomatoes were once considered a “poor man’s vegetable?” Although this is debatable, the island of Sicily is said to be the earliest home of ancient pizza. Rome and the surrounding areas of Naples and Pompeii used pizzas in their everyday meals.
One of our most favorite active vacations was when we traveled to the “Fort Myers of Italy” or the SW Italy region of Campania where we experienced true Italian pizza including San Marzano tomatoes that were plucked right from the volcanic soil.
What we learned from the famous Italian pizza maker was that simple is best. Fresh is best. The pizzas we tasted that day were out of this world delicious, made with fresh Italian flour thin crusts, tomatoes, fresh herbs, and fresh vegetables and meats.
We too love pizza and have tried replicating our Italy experience as well. We have made diverse kinds of pizza to make them healthier and less carb heavy. We love experimenting with pizza, that is for sure! Here are some ways to make homemade pizza healthier that we have used:
- Make a thin crust vs a stuffed or thick, bready crust. We purchase artisan Italian flour online (Antimo Caputo gluten free flour) and it is so delicious. It even smells like Italy!
- Switch to a more paleo flour such as almond flour.
- Try making a cauliflower or zucchini crust. Yum! The key to success with these is to drain out the excess water prior to using them for the crust. We like to add some shredded cheese and/or some almond flour to bind them.
- Make your own sauce! Fresh garden tomatoes or organic canned San Marzano tomatoes taste wonderful on pizza. Add fresh herbs such as basil, oregano, parsley, and garlic (lots of garlic!)
- Choose toppings wisely! Our favorites are fresh mushrooms, spinach, onions, peppers, broccoli, and/or asparagus. We like to lightly cook them prior to topping the pizza. Go a little crazy and try eggplant, squash, or Brussels sprouts on your pizza. Go easy on fatty high calorie meats. Prosciutto is wonderful on pizza, as well as leftover chopped pieces of steak or chicken.
- Go easy on the cheese! Believe it or not, not all pizzas are topped with cheese. Try a pizza with no cheese. When choosing a cheese, try fresh buffalo mozzarella, or go a little wild with goat, blue, or feta cheese!
Pizza is a fun thing to make at home with the family or with a group of friends. It is a great activity for hosting a get-together. Time shared in person with other people is so healthy for us!
We need each other. And what better way to get together than to host a pizza party!? Gather some fresh ingredients and make a variety of pizzas! Serve with a delicious salad loaded with veggies and/or fruits and some homemade dressing. Mangia bene!