While many have misinterpreted the name of this dish to mean “Parisian Pizza,” it actually comes from Neapolitan dialect for (how it would be written in Italian) “per la regina,” or “for the queen.” You’ll understand why Neapolitans think that this recipe is for for royalty when you try it!
Pizza Parigina is made with a base of normal pizza dough, a filling (it can really be anything that works well on pizza), covered with a sheet of puff pastry dough. Half pizza, half sandwich, it’s crispy and delicious!
A Note on the Pizza Dough
While the puff pastry can be easily purchased pre-made, there’s no substitute for an excellent, homemade pizza dough. Check out our full recipe for Pizza in Teglia to see how to make your own. Follow the steps, using ⅓ of the ingredients (250ml water, 300g flour, 0.6g yeast, etc.), up until the point where the dough is ready to be spread in the pan, then follow the steps below.
Watch the Pasta Grammar video:
PIZZA PARIGINA RECIPE
Makes: Serves 6 to 8
Cook Time: 2 hours
For this recipe, you will need:
Pizza dough (see above)
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 ¼ cups (300 ml) tomato puree
Salt
7 ounces (200 g) mozzarella cheese, sliced or chopped
7 ounces (200 g) sliced ham
1 large sheet of puff pastry dough, about 10 x 15 inches (25 x 38 cm), or large enough to cover a similar size baking tray
1 large egg, whisked
Generously brush a 10 x 15 inch (25 x 38 cm) non-stick baking tray with olive oil, including the sides. You can use a slightly different size tray, just be sure that your puff pastry sheet can comfortably cover it.
Place the risen pizza dough into the center and use your fingertips to gently press the dough out so that it fills the baking tray. Do so by starting in the center and gradually pressing outward toward the edges of the tray. You may find that when the dough is fully spread out, it tends to shrink back from the edges. If you simply wait 5 to 10 minutes, the gluten will relax and you can spread it out again to fully reach the edges and corners.
Drizzle the dough with a little more oil and use your hand to gently spread it over the surface of the pizza. Loosely cover the tray with plastic wrap and let the pizza rise for 30 to 60 minutes at room temperature, until it has roughly doubled in thickness.
Meanwhile, mix the tomato puree with salt and a drizzle of olive oil to taste. Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C).
After the dough has risen, discard the plastic wrap and spread the tomato sauce evenly over the pizza dough, leaving some exposed crust around the edges. Top the tomato sauce with an even spread of the mozzarella and ham.
Cover the entire pizza with the puff pastry sheet. Trim off any excess puff pastry dough and gently press the edges down so that they make contact with the pizza dough. Poke a few holes in the top with a paring knife and brush the entire top surface with the whisked egg.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the puff pastry is golden brown and the bottom pizza dough is fully cooked (check the color by gently lifting the pizza with a spatula).
Serve warm or at room temperature.
Buon appetito!
You’ll need an excellent pizza dough to pull off this Neapolitan treat: check out our step-by-step guide for making your own here!