From Naples to Zaragoza: six restaurants that make magic with Italian pizza

Four cheeses, margarita, carbonara or barbecue . There are countless types of pizza , a traditional Italian dish that has been adapting its ingredients to palates around the world. In Zaragoza there are a large number of restaurants specialized in this gastronomic art, and to celebrate World Pizza Day, this February 9, we suggest you enjoy this small pleasure in life in some of the most famous establishments in the Aragonese capital.

Some of them are led by authentic Italians , although many others show their determination and Aragonese perseverance to demonstrate that magnificent creations can be made with the flavors of this land.

THE PARTHENOPE

Brought directly from Italy, all the ingredients used at La Parthénope restaurant make their dishes as authentic as possible. That is why, in these four years that they have been on Calle de Verónica 16, they have achieved great achievements and recognitions such as entering the Fuera de Serie Expansión list of “The 32 best Italian restaurants in Spain”.

As one of the owners, Ángela Simonetti, says, the secret of their success is the time dedicated to the preparation of each of their products . “The pasta, the pizzas, the risotto… we make everything artisanally and at the moment . There are those who say why it takes us 15 or 20 minutes to serve a dish, but it is because we prepare it at the moment and we need time to do it well,” says the Italian.

As a recommendation, Simonetti points out his pizza “La Parthénope” as one of the most delicious : “It is a spring-type pizza, very light, with arugula, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, serrano ham… The specialty is that it has the edge filled with a sauce of cottage cheese and parmesan cheese .” However, his pizza proposal ranges from the traditional “Margherita”, to the “Diavola” or the “Quatro Formaggi”.

PASTA NOSTRA

One of the restaurants in Zaragoza that specializes in pizza par excellence is Pasta Nostra . Don’t let its name confuse you, because this establishment on Calle Marqués Casa Jiménez 8, makes delicious pasta dishes but also impeccable pizzas. They boast of maintaining the essence of high-quality Italian cuisine made with local and imported products from Italy . “All of our cuisine is based on fresh, natural ingredients that are handcrafted to achieve the best flavor, aroma and texture,” they point out on their website.

With more than 15 pizzas on its menu, this restaurant  makes its signature dish with three excellent quality Italian flours , which are left to ferment for 48 hours at a controlled temperature. With this they achieve a thin, light and digestive dough, which they stretch by hand when cooking in a stone oven. They also prepare various calzones and delicious sauces to accompany them.

DITALY

The Italian expression “cadere a fagiolo” refers to the circumstances that occur at the ideal moment. The chain of restaurants specializing in baked Italian cuisine, Ditaly, has made this expression its own, presenting a renewed menu with the oven as the cornerstone of the proposal, at a time when the search for authentic projects is more booming than ever.

In this way, they present a menu that pays tribute to the Italian culinary tradition, to the different regions and influences that make its cuisine one of the most acclaimed and favorites in the world. Their focaccias have been inspired by those that can be enjoyed every day on the Italian streets, with an abundant filling and a crunchy, delicious dough. The Cinema Paradiso with pastrami, pickled cucumber, mustard sauce, aioli and arugula is one of the great bets on its menu, without leaving aside vegetable alternatives such as La Grande Bellezza with eggplant, semi-dried tomato and portobello mushroom or spicier options such as Il Gattopardo with Bologna mortadella, Calabrian ´nduja and scamorza.

LEONE PIZZERIA

The taste of authentic Italian pizza can be found twice in Zaragoza thanks to Leone Pizzería , as it has two restaurants that allow its tasty dishes to be distributed in Plaza San Francisco and in the heart of the city, on Antonio Candalija Street. 

They began importing the flavor and aromas of Italian pizza to Zaragoza on February 9, 2020, so on its fourth birthday Leone Pizzería has given away one hundred pizzas completely free . Thus, lovers of this dish will be able to enjoy a wide selection of delicious pizzas such as “parmigiana”, “barbecue”, “dolce vita” or “pancetta e pesto”. 

The magic of their pizzas is concentrated in their cooking in a wood-fired oven, a dough fermented between 24 and 48 hours and their ingredients exported directly from Italy itself. 

PIZZA MIA

This simple restaurant located in the heart of the city (Calle Don Jaime I, 22) is characterized by serving traditional pizza cooked in a wood-fired oven and hearty calzones. For many, one of the most delicious take away pizzerias in the city whose smell fills the entire street. The authentic Neapolitan pizza arrived in the Aragonese capital to revolutionize the good weather nights in which many Zaragoza residents choose to take a slice of Pizza Mía and enjoy it while walking, taking it home or looking for somewhere to taste it. 

A star-shaped pizza, four cheeses, ham focaccias, the authentic Roman pizza, the traditional margherita pizza, vegetable pizza, mortadella with pistachio or ham and cheese, are just some of the options that can be tasted at Pizza Mia . 

22.2 GRADI AL TAGLIO

The Delicias neighborhood also has a star pizzeria and it is 22.2 Gradi al Taglio. Located on Calle de la Duquesa de Villahermosa 42, this famous restaurant innovates on the traditional concept of this Italian dish with its sliced ​​pizzas. And, in addition to the classic round pizzas, customers can order their pizzas to measure.

Its owner, Cristian Georgita, knows first-hand the art of making Roman-style pizzas, but after settling in Zaragoza, he decided to give it a more Aragonese style . That is why they include Calanda peach, borage, lamb or black truffle in their recipes . This and many other reasons have made 22.2º Gradi win several recognitions such as a Solete Repsol or being one of the best pizzerias in Spain, according to the Fuera de Serie Expansión list.

Their most popular pizza is the ” carbonara supreme “, however they also offer unusual proposals such as the chilindrón chicken pizza or the ternasco pizza. “In Zaragoza we have haute cuisine restaurants, but it can be a little expensive for some budgets. Our proposal is to differentiate ourselves with a beautiful, exuberant and exotic space with an average ticket and with a gastronomic offer according to where you are,” says Aldana.