Christina's Cucina

An impassioned Italian Scot sharing how to cook authentically, and travel with enthusiasm.

Authentic Italian Potato Pizza (Pizza con Patate) with Yellow Idaho® Potatoes

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Authentic Italian Potato Pizza is one of the most surprisingly delicious pizzas I’ve ever tasted. Have you ever had potato pizza? If not, don’t wait any longer!

authentic Italian potato pizza slices stacked on each other
I know what you’re thinking…carbs on carbs, right? Well, have Italians ever been wrong when it comes to food?

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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.

Disclosure: I was compensated by The Idaho Potato Commission for this post, and as always, all opinions are solely my own.

Authentic Italian pizza and pictures of rome collageI 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.

Slicing authentic italian pizza with potato slicesI 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.

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

And homemade pizza with tomato sauce isn’t unhealthy, either!

pizza with mozzarella

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 here.

best pizza sauce recipe


Authentic Italian Potato Pizza (Pizza con Patate)
with Yellow Idaho® Potatoes

recipe by Christina Conte           Full printable recipe below

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.

plate with Idaho Potatoes Logo
Look for this logo to be sure you are buying top quality potatoes.

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.

oxo mandoline slicing potatoes
It’s really important for the slices to be thin and uniform, so a mandoline slicer or food processor works great.

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.

pouring olive oil on Sliced Idaho Potatoes in Bowl

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).

Layering potatoes onto potato pizza

Drizzle with another 1 tsp or so, extra virgin olive oil. Spread carefully and evenly over the potatoes with your fingertips or a brush.

drizzling oil on authentic Italian potato pizzaOptional: 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.


top view pizzaclose up potato pizzaRemove 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!

handheld slice of pizzaRemember 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?

collage of photos of rome italyBuon appetito!


underside of square pizzaPlease don’t let the length of the instructions intimidate you because half of the text is my tips, recommendations and/or optional steps.

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Authentic Italian Potato Pizza (Pizza con Patate) with Yellow Idaho® Potatoes

Authentic Italian Potato Pizza (Pizza con Patate) with Yellow Idaho® Potatoes

Yield: 1 large pizza
Prep Time: 12 hours
Bake Time: 14 minutes
Total Time: 12 hours 14 minutes

Thinly sliced potato is baked onto light, pizza dough to create an unimaginably good and unique pizza which is very popular in Italy.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb pizza dough (if making my (search "my mother's favorite pizza") recipe, plan ahead 12-18 hrs or you can use your own recipe or bread machine) this recipe will also make more than a pound of dough, so you’ll have a little leftover
  • 4 to 5 yellow Idaho® potatoes
  • 4 to 5 tbsp good quality extra virgin olive oil (I like De Cecco)
  • 1 to 1 1/2 tsp Kosher or sea salt, more or less to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper, to taste (optional)
  • a sprig of fresh rosemary (optional)
  • 6 to 8 oz of fresh mozzarella (optional)

Instructions

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Preheat the oven at this point, to 500˚F (260˚C) or the hottest your oven can be set. Do not use convection.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. Optional: sometimes, mozzarella cheese is added at this point, but if you do, do so sparingly (I didn’t add cheese).
  7. 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 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 and will explain why, below).
  8. 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.
  9. Optional: sprinkle the some fresh rosemary, if desired (I did add rosemary to one half of my pizza).
  10. 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).
  11. Remove from the oven and cut into slices and serve hot, warm or cold.
  12. This pizza reheats really well, just place it back on a tray into a 400˚F (205˚C) oven for about 4 minutes.

Notes

Prep time includes overnight rise for the no knead dough.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 2 slices
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 219Total Fat: 9gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 0mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 5g

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a review by clicking on the 5 stars above, in the purple header (a form will appear) or tag me on Instagram! 😍

© Christina Conte
Cuisine: Italian

I was sponsored by The Idaho® Potato Commission to create this recipe, however, I only promote items I use and truly believe in.

Authentic Italian Potato Pizza cover shot with text

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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Reader Interactions

72 Responses

  1. Thank you Christina, for this wonderful dough recipe. It is indeed worthwhile.
    I made the potato pizza today, it turned out exactly as showed in your pictures (except the rosemary which is not my favorite). The bread tasted very good, but the topping tasted a tad flat. I don’t think it was lack of salt, more like lack of flavor in the potato.

    Anyway, thanks much once more. If you have any suggestions how to make this more flavorsome (excluding adding bacon, cheese and the like), do let me know.

    Reply

    • Hi Yani, I would agree with you, it’s probably the potato that is the issue. Maybe if you can find some local grown, organic potatoes? Not sure what else to suggest, unless you replace the rosemary with an herb you like. Good luck!

      Reply

  2. My daughter loved the flavor of this, but the potatoes just popped off the crust. Next time I will add cheese so they stick. Also I am going with way more spices next time.

    Reply

  3. We made this tonight and had a ton of potatoes left over. We used the thinnest slice possible on my mandoline, and are wondering now if we should have done more than one layer of potatoes. I would have enjoyed more potatoes on it. We made your mom’s crust which was very good – I’d added a little extra water last night when mixing it, because it seemed too dry. So my main question is how many layers of paper-thin potatoes do you put on your pizza? We will be making this again.

    Our solution for a crispy crust is to use a mesh pizza pan. It’s a pain to clean, but the bottom is crisp. Because our mesh pans are smaller than this called for, and because I always try to follow directions for the first time I make something, we didn’t use it for this, and instead, just moved the pan as you described.

    Reply

    • Hi Dessie, first of all, kudos to you for making it as written the first time. That is what I always recommend, and then make substitutions and changes after you know what you’re working with.

      Regarding the potatoes, there are a few things to consider. Your potatoes could be larger than the ones I used? Did your slices look the same as the ones in my photos? Maybe they were too thin? As you can see, I overlapped mine, but I wouldn’t recommend making multiple layers. I think the photos will be most helpful in this situation, as you can try to recreate what you see there. Try your mesh pan next time and see if you like it better. Glad you liked it and will make it again! Let me know how it goes next time! CC

      Reply

      • Thank you Christina for your speedy response! It’s likely that my potatoes were both larger, and more thinly sliced than yours. I did overlap as you suggested. My friend who got me started on this journey said that her partner sliced them thicker than I did. Mine were as thin as my mandoline would do them – they were translucent. I’m thinking something closer to 1/8″ or maybe a little thinner would both give me the proportion of potatoes my mouth wants (lol), and will still cook through.

        BTW, I LOVE your mom’s pizza dough recipe! My standby has been a whole-wheat recipe from a friend that I make in my bread machine, but I think your mother’s is going to become a part of my repertoire for those times when I think ahead enough to have time for it to rise! I was amazed that it only called for 1/4 tsp of yeast, but it worked! Thank you so much for these wonderful recipes!

        Reply

  6. Looks great. If I were to add parmesean cheese, where would I put it? On the dough before the potatoes? Mix with the potatoes? Or top the potatoes?

    Reply

    • Hmm, haven’t ever done that, but you could throw some on at the very end of baking or even when it comes out. I just wouldn’t want it to burn. Let me know how it goes.

      Reply

  10. I was in Rome last week and on the morning of our departure, while looking for a sandwich for breakfast from a bakery before heading for the airport, we spotted slices of this. Had never heard of it before but ‘Wow! ‘ Could not believe how fresh, simple and delicious it was. I had already decided to experiment in making it myself when I spotted your recipe. It’s sure to be a firm favourite in our home.

    Reply

    • Oh I’m so glad you discovered potato pizza, Catherine! Yes, I agree, it’s surprisingly wonderful! Thanks for the note and enjoy the recipe! Hope you find more of my recipes to enjoy, too! CC

      Reply

  12. THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH! I went to architecture school in Rome one summer 10 years ago and this was my VERY FAVORITE pizza! I tried to find a recipe for it when I returned, to no avail. I had forgotten about potato pizza until recently, when I found out that I am lactose intolerant and cannot have dairy and I really don’t like traditional red sauce pizza without cheese. I’m SO EXCITED to try this potato pizza recipe! (although it will have to wait, as I currently live in an efficiency with NO oven!). Thanks again! Once I move and have an oven I’ll let you know how it turned out. PS I have inherited a ceramic pizza stone that I have not used yet. Any tips for best use of it for this recipe?

    Reply

    • OOPS! I meant to say was in school in Rome 20 year ago! That’s why I could not find any recipe online! LOL!

      Reply

    • Oh, you’re going to love it and I bet it takes you right back to bella Roma! The ceramic pizza stone is great, just make sure that you heat it really well before adding the pizza and you’ll need a pizza peel to put the pizza on and take it off (more important for the former). Good luck and let me know when you try it! :) Thanks for your notes!

      Reply

  16. My mother-in-law and I used to have lunch at a small restaurant in MA by the name of Christina’s, coincidentally. When Potato Pizza was on the menu we always ordered it. Wonderful! I haven’t had one in years. Thank you for this recipe. Very easy to follow your directions.

    Reply

    • Hi Elaine! Sorry for the late reply (I was in Australia when you messaged). That’s so great that the restaurant was named Christina’s! Love it! Yes, do give it a try, as I think you’ll be over the moon with it!

      Reply

  18. I loved this recipe and your steps were very easy to follow. I did add grated parmigiana on the pizza dough before adding the potatoes, and some onion sliced very thin on top. We all really enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing this recipe.

    Reply

    • Ah, good question, Angus. I think it would be best to parboil the potatoes, as you would need to have them partially cooked. However, never having tried this myself, I’m not the best person to ask. Let me know what you decide and how it turns out.

      Reply

  22. I have been making this for a while now but I blend a chilli in to the oil and sprinkle ever so slightly with parmisian cheese and streaky bacon pieces. It adds a real lift and you don’t need as much salt my whole family loves it

    Reply

    • Hi Silvia, I don’t know if russets would work well as they’re not waxy, however, that said, I’ve never used them or red potatoes. If I had to choose, I’d go with the red as they are more similar to the type of potato they use in Italy. Let me know if you try either one. Happy pizza-making! CC

      Reply

  30. Oh my goodness! My daughter and I made this last night and I have found a new favorite ‘comfort food’!!!
    I admit, our potato placement was not as even as shown in your beautiful photos, but the flavor was heartwarming (as well as satisfying!)
    Thank you, thank you! As my daughter said – this is perfect!

    Reply

    • Oh Louise, you just gave me one of those “made my day” comments! Thank you so much! I must admit that I’ve always been a bit Type A personality, perfectionist and can’t just throw the potatoes on there any which way, but as you know, putting them on neatly does not improve the flavor one bit. I’m so happy you tried the potato pizza, because I’d have to admit it just doesn’t sound that appealing UNTIL you take a bite! Then you’re hooked! Thank you for letting me know! :) CC

      Reply

  31. Christina – this looks amazing! I just finished a post in pizza and found that cooking the pizza at the very top of the oven made for the crispest crust! It was a hint from Cooks Magazine. Perhaps it is perfect both ways! :) And I completely agree with CakePants – carbs on my carbs is just brilliant!

    Reply

    • I saw your pizza post, David and it too looks fabulous! I always had a problem with the bottom of my crust crisping and baking properly, but the bottom of the oven method cured this problem. I think it totally depends on the oven, too. I love Cook’s magazine-I hope you try the potato pizza, especially since there’s no garlic! :)

      Reply

    • I love rosemary chicken and potatoes, but have never had a pizza version! That’s another interesting concept! Hope you do try to re-create that pizza and it tastes just like you remember! :) CC

      Reply

  39. Dear Christina,
    Love this post…love pizza of any kind. I have had something similar to you recipe years ago. My grandmother (Nanni) used to make pizza when she would visit us. I think I spoke about her once with pizza on my blog post. She always used many different ingredients beside cheese and sauce. I love this and you made yours so beautiful. I especially like how you placed all the slices of potato so nicely around the pie. A very nutritious and natural meal. I was watching Lidia Bastianich make a pizza with potato not long ago on one of her shows. Yours looks much more professional than hers did. Great job, have to make that one night…it is so simple, but that is what is so good about Italian food. The simplest is the best. Thanks for sharing…Have a great rest of the week!
    Dottie :)

    Reply

    • Wow! That’s a lovely compliment, Dottie! I’d love to see Lidia’s potato pizza now, to compare it to mine! haha! Yes, this is a very simple pizza, as long as the potatoes are thinly sliced, it’s so good! I made two batches of potato pizza two days in a row, so I better take a break for a while, now! CC

      Reply

    • Cathy, I saw the bottom of the oven technique a while ago on a Food Wishes video and have been doing it ever since and have never had a raw/soggy bottomed pizza since, so I always do it. It really crisps the bottom as you can see in one of the photos. Thanks!

      Reply

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