From Naples with Love: Authentic Handmade Neapolitan Pizza

Pizza Margherita (Image: Talia di Napoli)

Some good news and some bad news. The bad news first: With the rise in COVID cases thanks to the arrival of the Delta variant, you won’t be traveling to Italy any time soon. The good news is that now Italy — or at least a very convincing taste of it — can come to you.

We’re talking pizza, the genuine item, hand-crafted in Naples (the birthplace of pizza) by authentic pizzaioli, flash-frozen and overnighted to you.

The company behind the pies, Talia di Napoli, was founded by fourth-generation Napolitanos, who take their pizzas very seriously. If you do, too, this is something to which you’ll want to give serious consideration.

The pizzas, which are sold in sampler packs of two (priced at $45), and packs of eight ranging in price from $100 to $130. The cost is dictated by the toppings, which run the gamut from very basic (the all-tomato pizza rossa) to the elegant: think pizza tartufina, perfumed with sliced truffles.

To ensure an authentically crisp and chewy crust, the pies are pre-baked and ready to go from your oven (tuned to a modest 425 degrees F) to your table in 10 minutes.

The proof of course is in the tasting, and all of the pies earned high praise from our panel. of tasters, all of whom were especially impressed with the crust. Two of us had been to Naples and could attest not only to the texture but the flavor of the crust, which has a compelling minerality to it.

Naturally, there is a Margherita, created in Naples in 1889 and named in honor of the queen at that time. The pie is slathered with a robust tomato sauce, creamy mozzarella, and a lone basil leaf (our one gripe).

Don’t miss the four-cheese, redolent of Gorgonzola and Emmental.

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