Pizza with Anchovies
on Dec 14, 2023
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Anchovies on pizza? Yes, please. The salty and umami flavors from anchovies add a bold and distinctive taste to the soft and cheesy crust in this recipe.
What are your thoughts on pizza topped with anchovies? Love it, hate it, or never tried?
I’m absolutely on the “love it” side. I’m sharing my top tips and hope to convince you to give this Italian classic a try. With all kinds of pizza toppings out there, anchovies are one of the most unique options.
The reason it’s so special is its bold flavor. The salty and umami tastes from anchovies are balanced out by the sweet and tangy flavors from red onions, olive, capers, and tomato sauce. The small and tender fillet also offers a nice contrast to the starchy, cheesy, and soft pizza crust. You’ll get a satisfying depth of taste you’ve never had before!
What is Anchovy Pizza?
This classic creation came out of Naples, Italy, right at the time pizza was invented. It’s basically a Napoletana style pizza where a few high-quality local anchovies are added to Margherita pizza.
You may wonder: Do anchovies taste good on pizza? The short answer is YES! The first time I fell in love with anchovy pizza was in Naples a few years ago. Once combined with other compatible toppings, anchovies add fabulous flavor to your pizza, and I think you’ll love it too!
Anchovy Pizza Recipe Ingredients
My biggest tip for making anchovy pizza is to use the BEST anchovies you can find. Here’s what you need to make a pizza with anchovies:
- Anchovy Fillet – Use high-quality anchovies from a jar, not a can. These Spanish fish are usually packed in olive oil with a tender and meaty texture. They are often more expensive than canned anchovies, but taste so much better. You can find them in local supermarkets, or order them online from Amazon.
- Pizza Dough – You can use store-bought or homemade pizza dough for this recipe.
- Olive Oil – It helps to prevent moisture from the toppings from soaking into the dough.
- Tomato Sauce – Use Homemade tomato sauce or store-bought marinara sauce.
- Mozzarella Cheese – Buy fresh high-quality mozzarella that’s not packed in water. Also avoid pre-shredded which tends to brown too fast and form an unattractive crust.
- Olives – I recommend the briny, natural kalamata olives. Cut them into thin slices.
- Red Onion – It adds a nice sweet caramelized flavor to the pizza. You can substitute white or yellow onions. Cut them into thin slices.
- Capers – It lends a nice piquant sour flavor to the pizza.
- Parmesan Cheese and Basil for garnish
The complete recipe with measurements is at the bottom of the post.
How to Make Pizza with Anchovies
First, prepare the dough. If you’re making homemade dough from scratch, you’ll need about 45 minutes to get it ready. If you use refrigerated store-bought pizza dough, you’ll need to plan ahead and let it sit on the counter for about 1 hour to bring it to room temperature.
The next step is preparing your anchovies and other ingredients. Drain your anchovies from the oil. If you find them too salty, give them a quick rinse under cold water. I always rinse my anchovies to remove excess salt. Make sure to pat them dry with a paper towel. In the meantime, get other ingredients ready.
Then, par-bake the crust with all the toppings EXCEPT the anchovies. Adding anchovies during the last few minutes helps maintain their unique taste and prevent it from becoming too fishy or salty.
Stretch the dough by gently flattening the dough ball into a large circle on a pizza pan or baking sheet. Use a fork to poke holes across the surface and brush with olive oil. Spread tomato sauce, and add the rest of the topping ingredients except anchovies. Bake for 6 minutes at 500°F.
After you par-bake the pizza, add anchovies and bake more. Take the pizza out and add anchovies. Bake for another 4-6 minutes until the cheese is melted, and the crust is golden brown.
Finally, garnish and serve. Remove the pizza from the oven. Garnish with grated parmesan cheese and fresh basil. Slice and enjoy! That’s it!
Serving Suggestions
My favorite way to serve anchovy pizza is to pair it with salads or a light side dish. It goes great with any of these recipes:
- Old Fashioned Cucumber and Onion Salad
- Broccoli Salad
- Seaweed Salad
- Fruit Salsa
- Black Bean and Corn Salsa
More Homemade Pizza Recipes
If you love this anchovy pizza recipe, try some of these homemade pizzas next:
- Sardine Pizza
- Dill Pickle Pizza
- Neapolitan Pizza
- School Pizza
- Or any of these Pizza Recipes
Want to try other topping ideas? Take a look at these popular Supreme Pizza Toppings.
Best Anchovy Pizza Recipe (+VIDEO)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound homemade pizza dough, or store-bought pizza dough*
Toppings
- 6 anchovy fillet, It’s best to use high-quality anchovies from a jar
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/3 cup tomato sauce, homemade** or store-bought
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, cubed
- 1/4 cup kalamata olives, sliced
- 1/4 medium-sized red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon capers
For Garnish
- optional parmesan cheese and basil
Instructions
- If you want to make homemade dough, follow this recipe, and you’ll need about 45 minutes to get it ready.
- Preheat the oven to 500°F.
- Drain anchovies from the oil. Test them, and give them a quick rinse under cold water if you find they’re too salty. Pat them dry with a paper towel.
- Get other ingredients ready. Cut mozzarella cheese into small cubes, and cut the red onion into thin slices. Set aside capers and olives.
- Stretch the dough by gently flattening the dough ball into a 12-inch (30cm) circle. Transfer it to a non-stick pizza pan or baking sheet. Use a fork to poke holes across the surface of the dough.
- Brush the dough lightly with olive oil. Using a large spoon, add the tomato sauce onto the pizza dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border on all sides. Spread the sauce evenly and thinly with the back of the spoon. Add cubed mozzarella, distributing it evenly over the entire surface. Add sliced olives, red onions, and capers on top of the cheese. (Don’t add anchovies at this step).
- Par-bake for 6 minutes.
- Take the pizza out and add anchovies. Bake for another 4-6 minutes until the cheese is melted, and the crust is golden brown. (You’ll know it’s ready when the cheese is bubbling and the crust is getting golden!)
- Remove the pizza carefully from the oven, and transfer it to a wooden cutting board. Garnish with grated parmesan cheese and fresh basil. Slice and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- * If you use a store-bought refrigerated dough, allow it to sit at room temperature for about 1 hour before stretching.
- ** To make homemade tomato sauce, simply mix together 1/2 cup pureed canned tomatoes, 2 tsp minced garlic, 1/2 tsp olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate only and will vary based on ingredient brands and cooking methods used.
Very, very tasty. Thank you Izzy!
Mark, glad that you like it. Thanks for letting me know