/ Pork / By

Margherita Pizza with ’Nduja

The origin of Margherita pizza with ’nduja is really two culinary traditions coming together:

The Margherita Pizza

  • Created in Naples, Italy around 1889.
  • According to legend, it was named after Queen Margherita of Savoy when pizzaiolo Raffaele Esposito made a pizza topped with tomato, mozzarella, and basil to resemble the Italian flag (red, white, green).
  • It became the classic representation of Neapolitan pizza— simple, balanced, and symbolic of Italian pride.

The ’Nduja

  • ’Nduja is a spicy, spreadable pork salami from Calabria, southern Italy.
  • Made with pork fat, herbs, and a large proportion of Calabrian chili peppers, it has a smoky, fiery flavor.
  • Traditionally spread on bread or mixed into pasta sauces, stews, or vegetables.
  • Its origins go back several centuries as a way for poorer communities to preserve and flavor pork using abundant chili peppers introduced to Italy in the 16th century.

Margherita Pizza with ’Nduja

  • This pairing is not traditional to Naples but rather a modern twist that spread in gourmet pizzerias during the late 20th and early 21st century.
  • The idea was to take the purity of the Margherita and add the heat and richness of Calabria— blending two iconic southern Italian specialties.
  • It gained popularity especially in the UK, U.S., and northern Europeas artisan pizzerias sought ways to keep the authentic Neapolitan base while offering bolder flavors.

 So, while the Margherita pizza is firmly Neapolitan (1889), and ’nduja is Calabrian (hundreds of years old), the combination is a contemporary innovation — a celebration of southern Italian flavors united on one pizza.

Ingredients (1 large 12–14″ pizza)

For the dough (Neapolitan style, 24 hr cold ferment):

  • 500 g (4 cups) Tipo 00 flour (or bread flour)
  • 325 ml (1⅓ cups) water (room temp)
  • 10 g (2 tsp) fine sea salt
  • 2 g (½ tsp) dry yeast (or 5 g fresh yeast)

For the topping:

  • 200 g canned San Marzano tomatoes (crushed by hand or passed through a food mill)
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 tsp dried oregano (optional)
  • 120 g fresh mozzarella (ideally mozzarella di bufala or fior di latte)
  • 40–60 g ’nduja (soft, spreadable Calabrian chili salami)
  • Fresh basil leaves (5–6)
  • Drizzle of olive oil

Instructions

  1. Make the dough (day before)
  2. Mix yeast with water, then add flour and salt. Combine until smooth.
  3. Knead 8–10 minutes until elastic.
  4. Cover and rest 1 hour, then divide into 2 balls (for two pizzas).
  5. Place in lightly oiled containers, cover, and cold ferment in fridge 18–24 hours.
  6. Prepare the sauce
  • Mix the crushed tomatoes with olive oil, a pinch of salt, and oregano (if using). Do not cook — Neapolitan pizza uses raw tomato sauce.
  1. Stretch the dough
  • Remove dough from fridge 1–2 hours before baking.
  • On a floured surface, gently stretch into a 12–14″ circle, leaving the edges a bit thicker for the cornicione (puffy crust).
  1. Assemble the pizza
  2. Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce (not too much).
  3. Tear mozzarella into chunks and scatter evenly.
  4. Add small spoonfuls of ’nduja (it will melt and spread while cooking).
  5. Add basil leaves.
  6. Drizzle lightly with olive oil.
  7. Bake
  • In a wood-fired oven: 450–485°C (850–900°F), bake 60–90 seconds.
  • In a home oven: Preheat with a pizza stone/steel to 260°C (500°F) for at least 45 minutes. Bake 7–8 minutes, finishing under the broiler for char.

Serving

  • Garnish with a fresh drizzle of olive oil.
  • Slice and serve immediately — the spicy ’nduja melts into the mozzarella, balancing beautifully with the sweet tomatoes and fresh basil.

  • Thank you for trying this recipe. Please let me know how you liked it. If you enjoyed this recipe, please take a look at other recipes on my fast, simple and good pork page.

Margherita Pizza with Nduja