We’ve had many great pizzas in Italy, but our favorite has to be Pizza Capricciosa. The ingredients complement each other so perfectly — the saltiness of the olives, the woody taste of the mushrooms, and the tang of the artichokes — that is more complex and satisfying than any other Italian pizza.
The best one we ever had was on the island of Capri. So we thought that maybe the pizza was named for the isle and originated there. But neither is true.
The name roughly translates as “capricious pizza” because it seems like the maker couldn’t decide which pizza toppings to use. Most often, it’s made with artichokes, mushrooms, ham, olives, chopped tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese. Sometimes, a raw egg is broken over the pizza before it’s put in the oven or chopped, hard-boiled eggs are added.
All our favorite pizza toppings.
The ingredients are the same for a Quattro Stagione or “four seasons” pizza, but the presentation is different. The pizza is divided into fourths and each quarter has different toppings.
The thing about pizza capricciosa is that there is room for interpretation in the ingredients — but each must be absolutely top quality.
Starting with the base, either pizza sauce or chopped tomatoes can be used, but they really should be San Marzanos. You can use almost any kind of mushrooms — white, creminis, shitakes, morels, or baby bellas. Of course, they’re best if they’re sautéed in a little butter first or you can use mushrooms from a jar that have been packed in oil. Just don’t even think about using canned ones.
Artichokes can be from a jar or can, marinated or not. The ham can be paper-thin prosciutto or diced cooked ham. And the olives can be black, green or mixed.
When we were in southern France this summer, it seemed like every pizza we ordered came with Emmental cheese in addition to mozzarella. And they were absolutely delicious. The best Emmental comes from Switzerland — but don’t tell the French who make a similar cheese called Emmentaler. It’s mellow, nutty flavor really complements the other ingredients. The cave-aged, which have a fruity taste, is the best.
While there are many pizza recipes for capricciosa, the best pizza will be the one that uses the toppings you like best.
Learn about other kinds of Italian pizza here.