Most of the time, we use quite a few pizza toppings. But some times, less really is more. And a plain old cheese pizza — done well — can be the most delicious pizza ever.

Like most dishes with only a few ingredients, it’s important that each one of them be top quality. If you can’t buy fresh pizza dough at your neighborhood grocery store, make it yourself. And use San Marzano tomatoes if you can find them.

Pizza Cheese

But for the ultimate cheese pizza, the most critical ingredient is the pizza cheese, or more likely, cheeses. Although mozzarella cheese is the obvious choice, it’s quite mild and without some spicy pepperoni to jack things up, you could end up with a boring pizza.

If you want a mouth-watering pizza that’s bursting with flavor, you’ll need to add some other cheeses. Emmental cheese is a very popular pizza topping in France. A Swiss cheese made from cow’s milk, it has a nutty, buttery flavor. Jarlsberg, which comes from Norway, is similar. Both melt beautifully.

Another Swiss cheese that makes a fabulous pizza is Gruyere. Slightly salty from being brined, Gruyere is aged from a few months to a year. The flavor intensifies with aging. The French cheese, Comte, is quite similar. These cheeses are too rich to use as you would mozzarella. Either combine them with mozzarella, or use less than you ordinarily would.

As you’d expect, Italy also has several great pizza cheeses in addition to mozzarella. Fontina, which hails from the Val d’Aosta region, near the Swiss border, is mellow and slightly sweet. Burrata cheese — basically mozzarella with a center of heavy cream — is subtle, but delicious. Ricotta also adds a smooth, creamy texture. Just be sure it’s well drained before you use it.

No pizza is complete without one of the Italian grating cheeses: parmesan, grana padano, Asiago, or pecorino romano. These add wonderful depth, but be mindful of their saltiness. For the best flavor, grate them right before you use them.

Although the four cheeses in pizza quattro formaggi vary based on the preferences of the pizza maker, there’s usually a bleu or veined cheese, often gorgonzola. Use the gorgonzola sparingly, otherwise it will overwhelm everything else.

Cheese Pizza

If you’re not a fan of bleu cheese, consider substituting goat cheese or feta. These range in flavor from mild to pungent.

Before you put your pizza in the oven, drizzle a little top-quality olive oil over the top. And if you’re so inclined, add a couple of twists of freshly-ground pepper or crushed red peppers flakes.

Once the aroma of melting cheese starts to waft from the oven, it will be difficult to be patient. But let your oven bake until the cheese turns golden brown and bubbly. Pour yourself a nice glass of Italian red — maybe Montepulciano or Chianti — and enjoy the best pizza there is.

Read more tips on pizza cheese or learn how to make your own.

Pizza Cheese Image Flickr: quinn.anya
Cheese Pizza Image Flickr: avlxyz

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.

Sooner or later, most serious pizza lovers will need to go on a diet. Unless you were lucky enough to inherit an incredible metabolism, chances are, you’ll probably end up with a few unwanted pounds one day.

Low carbohydrate diets, like the South Beach diet, are usually effective for weight loss. In fact, they’ve even been shown to lower cholesterol levels. Low carb diets are pretty easy to stay on because there are lots of satisfying foods you can enjoy, and it’s not hard to find something to eat if you go to a restaurant.

The down side is that conventional pizza is off limits. And after a few weeks of protein and veggies, you’ll likely be craving one. Most pizza toppings are okay on low carb diets. It’s the pizza crust that’s the deal breaker. Just one slice of Boboli thin crust has 24g of carbohydrates.

Delicious low carb pizza.

But recently, we tried a low carb pizza crust that was worth getting excited about.

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Really good low carb pizza crust.

This crust is tasty, inexpensive, easy to make, and perfectly legal. There are really only three ingredients:

1 cup cooked, riced cauliflower
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1 beaten egg

Cut a large head of cauliflower in half and then use a hand-grater or food processor to cut it into rice size pieces. Put the riced cauliflower in a microwave-safe dish with a lid and microwave it for about four minutes. Don’t add any water.

Spread the cauliflower on a plate to let it cool for a couple of minutes. Then combine it will the grated mozzarella and egg. We added some oregano, basil, garlic powder, and a little grated parmesan for flavor.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Oil a cookie sheet or pizza pan — we got good results with our cast iron pizza pan — then spread the cauliflower mixture onto the pan. We ended up with about a nine inch round.

Bake the crust for about 15 minutes, or until it starts to brown. Remove it from the oven, add you favorite pizza toppings, then pop it under the broiler for a few minutes until everything is hot and melted.

Because there’s so much cheese in the crust, you’ll need less cheese as a topping. If you’re doing the Atkins diet, you can use traditional pizza meats like Italian sausage and pepperoni. Just make sure they’re cooked before you use them. For the South Beach diet, leaner meats like ham, prosciutto, or sausage made with chicken are preferred.

Tomatoes and tomato sauce have some carbs, so use these sparingly. But most vegetables are virtually carb free, so add as many as you like. Onions, peppers, artichokes, olives, and mushrooms are all good choices.

The pizza we made was extremely satisfying. In retrospect, we added more cheese than we needed to. And even though it was smaller than the pizzas we usually make, we couldn’t even finish it. We each ate about a third, and left a third for some other time.

We didn’t get hungry later, and we satisfied our pizza craving without blowing our diet. If you’re trying to lose a little weight, or even if you’re not, give it a try. It’s a good way to get another serving of vegetables into your diet.

Find more diet pizza ideas here.

Pizza may be Italy’s greatest invention and its most popular export.

The roots of pizza actually date back to Egypt and ancient Greece where flatbreads seasoned with herbs and baked on hot stones were a staple.   Italian pizza as we know it was first created in the 16th century, when tomatoes brought from the New World were crushed and spread on top of foccacia.

Water buffalos were brought from India around the same time, and before long, cheese was added.

Naples embraced the new dish and, over time, perfected it.  Today, it’s the spiritual home of Italian pizza, and the city that ardent pizza aficionados feel compelled to visit.

So serious is Naples — and Italy — about its pizza, that in 1998, the Italian government formally protected Neapolitan pizza by giving it Denominazione di Origine Controllata or DOC status.  This established Neapolitan pizza as a national treasure, on a par with Chianti wine, Parma ham, or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

The DOC designation spelled out the ground rules for how the pizza is made.  Only three kinds of pizza are recognized — Pizza Marinara, made with tomato, garlic, oregano, and olive oil; Pizza Margherita, which adds mozzarella and basil; and Pizza Margherita Extra which uses mozzarella di Bufala, made from buffalo milk.

All three are cooked for no more than 90 seconds at 900 degrees Fahrenheit in a wood-burning oven.  The crust should be extremely thin — less than 1/8″ thick, but after cooking, it should fold without breaking.  The diameter of the pizza should be less than 14 inches.  And the tomatoes should be San Marzanos.

One of the benefits of the DOC guidelines is that you no longer have to go to Naples to have true Italian pizza.  Organizations like Verace Pizza Napoletana Americas (VPN) train American pizza makers how to produce authentic Neapolitan pizza.  No stone is left unturned.  Everything from the type of flour to the kneading of the dough is defined.  And pizzerias that comply received VPN certification.

If you want to eat an authentic Neapolitan pizza in America, Seattle is your best bet.  There are more VPN-certified pizzerias there than in any other American city.  Choose from Picolino’s Ristorante, Pizzeria Pulcinella, or several locations of Tutta Bella Neapolitan or Via Tribunale.

Those lucky enough to travel to the source will find pizza on just about every corner in Naples.   Pizzeria La Sorrentino, Trianon, and Pizzeria Caffaso all have legions of fans.  But L’Antica Pizzeria de Michele has held the “best pizza in Naples” title for years.  It serves only Pizza Marinara, Pizza Margherita, and Pizza Ripiena, which is a baked calzone.  Since it was featured in the book “Eat, Pray, Love,” the lines to get in are even longer than usual and you may not find it worth the wait.

Antica Pizzeria di Matteo is another great choice with a bigger menu.  In addition to the traditional pizzas, di Matteo also specializes in fried balls of dough, rice, and potatoes.  Buy some to snack on while you wait for your pizza.

Read about other Italian food specialties here.

Also known as deep-dish pizza, Chicago pizza originated in the windy city in 1943.  But the actual inventor of the dish is disputed.  The first Chicago pizza was served at Pizzeria Uno and, depending on whom you ask,  it was the brainchild of either Ike Sewall or chef Rudy Malnati.

The pizza was a hit, and Pizzeria Uno opened Pizzeria Due, which was followed by Gino’s Pizza, and then Gino’s East.  Rudy Malnati’s son, Leo, opened a pizzeria in the suburbs in 1971, and Chicago pizza started to spread throughout the country.

Today, you can probably find a pizzeria in your neighborhood that serves them.  And you can even order Chicago pizza online from Lou Malnati’s

To make a Chicago pizza at home, you’ll need a 14″ deep-dish pizza pan or a couple of cake pans.  One of the best parts of a Chicago pizza is the crust, which is both flaky and crispy.  Your pie will turn out the best if you make your own pizza dough.  And having a dough hook really helps.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine two packages of quick rise dry yeast with two cups of warm water.  Once the yeast has dissolved, add:

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 TBSPs olive oil

1/2 cup cornmeal

3 cups flours

Beat these ingredients for about ten minutes.  Then add 2-1/2 cups more flour to the dough and beat with a dough hook for another ten or fifteen minutes.  Dust a countertop or cutting board with flour, put the pizza dough on top, and then cover it with a large metal bowl or a damp dish towel.

When the dough has doubled in size, beat it down and let it rise again.  Punch it down once more and divide in half if you‘re using cake pans.

Preheat your over to 475.  Then oil a 14″ deep-dish pizza pan or two cake pans.  Don’t be stingy — this is how the crust gets crispy.  Place the dough in the pan.  Oil your fingers and push the dough into the pan until it’s 1/8 inch thick and goes all the way up the sides.

Unlike a conventional pizza, a Chicago pizza has the cheese at the bottom.  So start assembling your pie by covering the bottom with sliced mozzarella or provolone cheese.  Then add a 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes — San Marzanos are best — and a teaspoon each of basil and oregano.  The next ingredient, garlic, is traditionally added crush, but we prefer it minced.  Add to taste, or substitute garlic powder.

You can add any of  your favorite pizza toppings, but the classic Chicago Pizza uses sautéed Italian sausage, pepperoni, onions, mushrooms, and green peppers.  Place the other ingredients on top of the tomatoes and then sprinkle with about 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese and drizzle with olive oil.

Bake for about 35 minutes.

For a healthier pizza, substitute broccoli for the sausage and pepperoni.  And for more vegetarian pizza toppings read best vegetable pizza toppings.