Pizza: the trends of 2023 with a look to the future

Pizza: a gastronomic product in constant evolution

Almost 8 million pizzas are eaten on average every day in Italy: but is there a trend that influences the "variations on the theme" of this timeless and beloved dish?

According to market research, the most popular dough remains that of the classic 'Napoletana', closely followed by the 'Roman' pizza and by the one served by the slice, typical of street food, but new emerging products, such as pan pizza, Veg pizza and the very current 'Breakfast pizza' seem to be gaining more and more space in consumer choices.

Furthermore, the proposal of some restaurateurs is innovative and trendy, who have included pizza tasting in their menu, an opportunity to appreciate different variations - even new or revisited ones - in an interesting itinerary made up of several courses of pizza.

The Pizza Trends for 2023

On January 17 of each year (the day in which the feast of S. Antonio Abate, patron saint of pizza makers, is celebrated), World Pizza Day takes place, a gastronomic event of international resonance dedicated entirely to the symbolic dish of Italian cuisine, an occasion unique way to discover - and rediscover - all the facets of pizza.

For some time, for example, the high and soft profile of the crust typical of the classic Neapolitan pizza has made room for the thin and "scrocchiarella" pizza in Italian tastes, already the heritage of Roman pizzerias and, today, chosen to accommodate all kinds of toppings.

The 80s revival, which is influencing the culinary art of many starred chefs, has also made an impression on pizzerias where, more and more often, you can ideally go back in time by ordering pizzas with cream, ham and peas, or with speck and mushrooms or with salmon and zucchini.

And as far as 'healthy' and alternative trends are concerned, even pizza can become vegetarian or vegan, following the direction taken by a good part of the world: vegetables and legumes, especially chickpeas and beans in hummus, as well as all the "plant based" condiments ", are used to offer pizzas rich in vegetable aromas and free from ingredients of animal origin.

But innovation does not only pass through the choice of new toppings and also goes to the cooking methods: the pizza 'al padellino', borrowed from the Turin tradition, is very trendy.

Still round, but smaller in size, it is topped with roasted "datterini" or cherry tomatoes, grated aged cheese or Apulian stracciatella and scented with lots of fresh basil.

In terms of street food, the 'wallet' pizza is once again very topical, to be enjoyed while walking or during the lunch break: no longer the prerogative of the stalls on street corners, today it is also included among the proposals of famous restaurants, both in the take-away version and at the table, to create a sort of renewed 'slow food', albeit inspired by a food so tied to tradition.

Finally, why not enjoy pizza for breakfast too? Many already do it, but the 'Breakfast pizza' of the new millennium has the typical imprint of an international breakfast and is sliced, topped with bacon and eggs; unusually, it can also contain fruit of your choice, but it is always covered with lots of strictly melted cheese.

Passion, innovation and the right tools for homemade pizza

In its best-known versions, such as the 'Margherita' or the 'Napoletana', pizza can easily be replicated even in the home kitchen.

Basically, in addition to a minimum of technical skill necessary to make the dough and the selection of the most genuine ingredients, the result is ensured by the cooking method which, for pizza, is based on the very high temperature of the oven.

An easy requirement to find in the right tools, such as the Diavola Pro electric oven and the Diavola 16, which runs on gas and is dedicated to outdoor use.

Both are able to reach, in a few minutes, an ideal temperature of the internal chamber (450/500 °C) and keep it constant: in this way, several pizzas can be cooked perfectly, even in sequence, with results of taste and aroma completely similar to those produced by professional ovens.