Potato Pizza (Authentic Italian Pizza con Patate)
Potato pizza is one of the most surprisingly delicious pizzas you’ll ever try. This authentic Italian potato pizza recipe is super easy to make, and is naturally vegan!
I know what you’re thinking…carbs on carbs, right? Well, have Italians ever been wrong when it comes to food? You need to try potato pizza!
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I was compensated by The Idaho Potato Commission for this post, and as always, all opinions are solely my own.
Strange Pizza Topping?
I’m going to ask you to trust me on this one, because I had the same trepidation the first time I ever saw a potato pizza in Italy. It looked so “blah” and boring, that I was not tempted in the slightest. This is despite the fact that I’m a huge potato fan. I was much more interested in the traditional tomato topped pizzas, but little did I know that I was really missing out on one of Italy’s best creations.
I don’t actually recall when I first tried potato pizza, but I know it was when I was in Rome, probably when I was 19 or 20 years old. It was truly eye-opening. No longer could I simply judge how something would taste, simply because I knew how the different ingredients tasted separately!
Potato pizza has such fabulous flavor. I am not exaggerating when I tell you you will most likely be shocked at how good it tastes. As always, the quality of ingredients is key. You won’t get this delicious flavor by using the wrong potatoes or inexpensive olive oil. As I always say, you really have to use top quality ingredients, more so when there are a minimal of ingredients, such as in this pizza.
I use top quality extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, and yellow (or gold) Idaho® Potatoes, which is really the kind of waxy potato that is necessary for this pizza to turn out correctly. Use the best quality ingredients and you’ll end up with a fabulous tasting pizza.
Potato Pizza for Breakfast
Why not make potato pizza for breakfast? Just serve a fried egg on top of a slice, or even alongside a slice for a nice change from cereal and pancakes!
Love potatoes? Try this unique Italian recipe for potato, ham and mozzarella casserole (gatto di patate.)
Most Italian Pizzas are not Unhealthy!
Also, please remember that this type of pizza is actually a very healthy and nutritious pizza~
-no sugar -no hydrogenated oils -only healthy fat (extra virgin olive oil) -no processed, chemical and
preservative filled dough -dairy and cholesterol free (if not using cheese) -all the health benefits of
potatoes -vegetarian -vegan (if not using cheese) -potatoes are baked, not fried –rosemary’s health benefits
And homemade pizza with an authentic Italian pizza sauce isn’t unhealthy, either!
In fact, when you make pizza the real Italian way, many things will change. For example, did you know that you should never use tomato paste or cook your pizza sauce! Find out how to make proper pizza sauce.
Authentic Italian Potato Pizza (Pizza con Patate)
recipe by Christina Conte serves 6
FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW
Ingredients
- pizza dough
- Yukon gold potatoes
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt
- pepper
- (optional – fresh rosemary)
- (optional – mozzarella)
Directions for the Potato Pizza
Potato pizzas are traditionally make in rectangular pans, but you can use any shape you like. Oil your pan slightly with about a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.
Prepare the Dough
Shape the dough into the shape of your pan, then place the dough onto it. Drizzle about a tablespoon or more of extra virgin olive oil and rub it over the surface evenly. Leave in a draft-free place for a few minutes while you prepare the potatoes.
Preheat the oven at this point, to 500˚F (260˚C) or the hottest your oven can be set. Do not use convection.
Prepare the potatoes
Using a mandoline slicer or food processor, slice the washed and dried yellow Idaho© potatoes (do not peel) very thinly and place in a bowl. I love my OXO mandoline slicer.
Add enough extra virgin olive oil to coat each slice (2-3 tbsp), then sprinkle lightly with the salt. Using your hands, mix the potatoes so they are evenly coated with oil and salt.
Optional: sometimes, mozzarella cheese is added at this point, but if you do, do so sparingly. I didn’t add cheese.
Top the Dough with the Potatoes
Start layering the potato slices over the pizza dough in the pan, overlapping the slices slightly until all the dough is covered. Unlike a traditional tomato pizza, you don’t need to leave an edge. I did so for the sake of the photos, or else the pizza would just look like slices of potatoes, but I’d recommend going all the way to the edge and will explain why, below).
Drizzle with another 1 tsp or so, extra virgin olive oil. Spread carefully and evenly over the potatoes with your fingertips or a brush.
Optional: sprinkle the some fresh rosemary, if desired (I added rosemary to one half of my pizza).
Bake the Potato Pizza
Place pizza on the floor of the oven, or if you aren’t able to use the bottom, put it on the lowest rack, for 4 minutes. After 4 minutes, move the pizza onto the middle shelf of the oven. Bake for another 8 to 11 minutes, or until the potatoes begin to brown.
If desired, reset the oven to broil (grill) and place the pizza on the top rack to make the potatoes a little more brown and crispy. This is the reason it’s best to place the potatoes all the way to the edge of the dough and not leave any exposed crust.
If you do this, you don’t have to worry about the crust burning while you crisp the potatoes.
Remove the potato pizza from the oven and cut into slices; serve hot, warm or cold. This pizza reheats really well, just place it back on a tray into a 400˚F (205˚C) oven for about 4 minutes.
This pizza is so delicious, you won’t even want to think about how you’ve been missing out all these years!
Remember I asked if Italians have ever gotten the food wrong? Well, if the people who are responsible for creating all of this, also invented potato pizza, need I say anything more?
Buon appetito!
Please don’t let the length of the instructions intimidate you because half of the text is my tips, recommendations and/or optional steps.
Authentic Italian Potato Pizza (Pizza con Patate) with Yellow Idaho® Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 lb pizza dough store-bought or homemade pizza dough recipe (easy) or (more advanced, Neapolitan style pizza dough)
- 5 yellow Idaho® potatoes medium sized, enough to cover the pizza
- 5 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil good quality
- 1 ½ tsp Kosher or sea salt more or less to taste
- ⅛ tsp black pepper freshly ground, to taste (optional)
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary (optional)
- 8 oz mozzarella (optional)
Instructions
- Oil your pan slightly, with about a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.
- Shape the dough into the shape of your pan, then place the dough onto it, drizzle about a tablespoon or more, extra virgin olive oil and rub it over the surface evenly, then set in a draft-free place for a few minutes while you prepare the potatoes.
- Preheat the oven at this point, to 500˚F (260˚C) or the hottest your oven can be set. Do not use convection.
- Using a mandoline slicer or food processor, slice the washed and dried yellow Idaho© potatoes (do not peel) very thinly and place in a bowl.
- Add enough extra virgin olive oil to coat each slice (2-3 tbsp), then sprinkle lightly with the salt. Using your hands, mix the potatoes so they are evenly coated with oil and salt.
- Optional: sometimes, mozzarella cheese is added at this point, but if you do, do so sparingly (I didn’t add cheese).
- Start layering the potato slices over the pizza dough in the pan, overlapping the slices slightly until all the dough is covered.
- Drizzle with another 1 tsp or so, extra virgin olive oil and spread carefully and evenly over the potatoes, with your hand or a brush.
- Optional: sprinkle the some fresh rosemary, if desired (I did add rosemary to one half of my pizza).
- Place pizza on the floor of the oven, or if you aren’t able to use the bottom, put it on the lowest rack, for 4 minutes. After 4 minutes, replace the pizza onto the middle of the oven for another 8 to 11 minutes, or until the potatoes begin to brown.
- If desired, reset the oven to broil (grill) and place the pizza on the top rack to make the potatoes a little more brown and crispy (this is why it’s best to place the potatoes all the way to the edge of the dough, and not leave any exposed crust, so that you don’t have to worry about the crust burning while you crisp the potatoes.)
- Remove from the oven and cut into slices and serve hot, warm or cold.
- This pizza reheats really well, just place it back on a tray into a 400˚F (205˚C) oven for about 4 minutes.
Notes
-
- Potato pizzas are traditionally make in rectangular pans, but you can use any shape you like.
- Unlike a traditional tomato pizza, you don’t need to leave an edge of dough; I did so for the sake of the photos, or else the pizza would just look like slices of potatoes, but I’d recommend going all the way to the edge.
Nutrition
I was sponsored by The Idaho® Potato Commission to create this recipe, however, I only promote items I use and truly believe in.
Christina’s Cucina is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
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Making this on repeat, thank you for the recipe! Who knew!?!
The way you explain things makes it so much easier to understand. Thanks!
Made it and enjoyed it. Tweaked slightly by adding a little bit of fig jam on top – heaven!
Yay! THanks, Pippa! Stay tuned for an even better pizza crust! I took a masterclass with Vito Iacopelli yesterday and it was INCREDIBLE!
I love to read your posts about authentic Italian recipes. I travel to Italy to visit family (Scilla, RC) so I understand that we have American-Italian food in the US, not Italian food. There is nothing wrong with that but it’s nice for people to know the authentic Italian recipes and what a difference quality ingredients make. A few simple quality ingredients can make an outstanding meal.
I tried the potato pizza recipe. It looked so good. Once dough is made it’s so simple and so much better than ordering out for pizza. I did have a problem though. The dough right under the potatoes did not fully cook. I could taste the difference of that top part of the pizza. What did I do wrong?
Thanks.
Hi Josephine, yes, I agree with you on the authenticity of recipes (just knowing where recipes had a starting point, or what we know as a starting point.) Regarding the dough being raw under the potatoes, I honestly have no idea why that would happen. It sounds like it just needed more time in the oven? I’ve never had that happen, so not sure what to suggest?
One of my friend suggested me this delicious looking “Italian Potato Pizza” recipe, Can’t wait to try this by my own. Thank you for sharing this one with us.
Super excited to try this Authentic Italian Potato Pizza, this one seems delicious and unique. Thanks for sharing this one with us, will love to share with others too.