Just scroll through the menu at any pizzeria to appreciate the thousands of faces that the most Italian of recipes can take on; earning a permanent place alongside the classic margherita and marinara is the pizza with buffalo mozzarella as well as the increasingly popular ortolana (with vegetables).
So far so good, but do void being puzzled by a disconcerting Caterpillar (with a filling so heavy and spicy as to distress any gastric defense mechanism) or the shameful Patatosa desecrated by a mountain of French fries and ketchup?
The difference isn’t only in the taste but also in the nutrients.
If between a marinara with tomato, oil and oregano and a capricciosa topped with artichokes, mushrooms in various oils, ham, and abundant mozzarella there can be a difference of 500-600 calories, the hybrid Patatosa can reach up to 1300 calories with a totally disproportionate amount of fat.
And on the subject of fats, by the way, experts at the Georgia-Pacific Health Smart Institute in Atlanta have studied pizza and devised a way to make it less fattening. Simply place a paper towel (avoiding the one that flakes easily) on the surface of a hot pizza to remove up to 14 percent of the fat.
So, which pizza to choose at a restaurant? You’ll find 10 of the best perfectly balanced pizzas between health and flavor to choose from in the Photo Gallery here above.
What about frozen pizzas?
Sold in ready-made packs with all the ingredients required to prepare a pizza at home. They’re ready in about twenty minutes and require just a little effort for the dough but the taste and fragrance are typical of the freshly baked pizza. They can be topped as desired, but to get the right balance the topping needs to make up more or less 50% of the total weight.
Frozen pizzas ready and topped to go are the quickest and most practical. They are put in the previously heated oven and after 5-10 minutes they are ready to be served. Compared to the earlier versions on the market today's read-made frozen pizzas boast better tastes and textures thanks to advances in preservation techniques. However, it’s important to check the ingredients and nutritional labels.