Pizza, in Italian is the name of an oven-baked, flat, usually round bread covered with tomato sauce and cheese with other toppings left optional. While originating as a part of Neapolitan cuisine, the dish has become popular in different parts of the world.
Various toppings may be added, most typically:
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sauce, traditionally tomato-based but pesto, alfredo, barbecue sauce, and occasionally even ketchup are also common.
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cheese, traditionally mozzarella but often provolone or a blend of other cheeses
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herbs and seasonings such as basil, oregano, and garlic
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vegetables such as artichoke hearts, bell peppers, eggplant, olives, onions, spinach, asparagus, broccoli, and sweetcorn
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meat or seafood such as sausage (especially pepperoni or salami), ham, bacon, ground beef, anchovies, chicken, tuna, and shrimp
Other common toppings include mushrooms, tomatoes, and pineapple.
A wood-burning pizza oven.
The bread base is traditionally plain, but may also be seasoned with butter, garlic, or herbs, or stuffed with cheese. In some pizza recipes the tomato sauce is omitted (termed "white pizza"), or replaced with another sauce (usually garlic butter but sauces can also be made with spinach or onions). Pizza is normally eaten hot (typically at lunch or dinner), but leftovers are often eaten the next day for breakfast or as a snack.
