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Vegetarian, Italy

Pugliese pizza with onions and olives, green salad

Pugliese pizza is an Italian pizza topped with tomato, melted red onions, black olives, and mozzarella, scented with oregano. For 4 people, it takes 60 minutes and stays easy to make, at €2.30 per serving. The trick is cooking the onions in a pan first, so they turn soft and sweet instead of burning in the oven.

Tonight it's Pugliese pizza, with tomato, melting red onions, olives, and a hint of oregano.

Pugliese pizza with onions and olives, green salad
Total time
1 h
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€2.30
Calories per person
500 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

This pizza comes from Puglia, in southern Italy, a region where red onions and black olives often stand in for cured meats on top of the dough. The result is a lighter pizza than the classic version, with a sweet softness from the cooked onions that plays against the salty olives. The mozzarella melts in pockets without drowning the topping, and the oregano gives it that unmistakable Mediterranean scent.

It works just as well on a weeknight as on a lazy Sunday with friends, since it comes together in about an hour using ready rolled pizza dough. Kids tend to like its mild flavor, especially if you set aside a few olives from their slices before baking. The green salad on the side lightens the meal and brings freshness against the cheese and olives.

The ingredients

4 people

Dairy

  • Ready rolled pizza doughs 2
  • Mozzarella 125 g

Pantry

  • Tomato sauceoften in the pantry 250 g
  • Pitted black olives 100 g
  • Oreganooften in the pantry 2 tsp
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 4 tbsp
  • Vinegaroften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Fruits and vegetables

  • Red onions 3
  • Green salad 1

Allergens Gluten, Lactose

The step by step recipe

  1. Thinly slice the red onions and cook them over low heat in a spoonful of oil with a pinch of salt. 20 min

    Cover at first, they soften in their own steam, then uncover so they turn golden.

  2. Preheat the oven to 240°C with a baking sheet inside, and unroll the doughs onto parchment paper.

    A hot baking sheet gives a crisp base, like in a wood fired oven.

  3. Spread the salted tomato sauce mixed with oregano over the doughs, then top with onions, olives, and chunks of mozzarella.

    Leave the edge bare, it puffs up and browns as it bakes.

  4. Slide the pizzas with their parchment onto the hot baking sheet and bake. 12 min

    Watch closely in the last few minutes, the olives and cheese brown quickly.

  5. Toss the salad with the oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper, and serve it alongside the sliced pizzas.

    A tangy salad cuts through the richness of the cheese and olives.

Our tips to get it right

  • Don't oversalt the tomato sauce, the olives already bring plenty of salt to the topping.
  • Tear the mozzarella into chunks rather than thin slices, it melts better without turning rubbery.
  • If your dough is thin, bake it a few minutes without toppings first, to avoid a soggy base.

The variations

  • Swap the black olives for green olives for a sharper, less sweet flavor.
  • Add a few anchovy fillets on top before baking for a saltier version closer to traditional Pugliese pizzas.
  • For kids, make an olive free pizza with a bit more mozzarella, keeping the soft cooked onions, which stay very mild.

What to serve it with

  • Lemony green salad
  • Sparkling water with lemon
  • Marinated cherry tomatoes in oil

Storage

Baked pizza keeps for 2 days in the fridge in a closed container. Reheat it for a few minutes in a hot oven to get a crisp base again. Uncooked topped dough doesn't freeze well because of the onions, it's better to bake it first and freeze the slices if needed.

Questions about this dish

Can I use yellow onions instead of red onions?

Yes, yellow onions work well, they'll just be slightly less sweet and less colorful. Soften them the same way in a pan before topping the pizza.

Do I really need to cook the onions before adding them to the pizza?

Yes, that's the key step in this recipe. Raw onions don't have time to cook through in a hot oven, they'd burn on the surface while staying raw inside.

Can I prepare the topping ahead of time?

You can cook the onions the day before and keep them in the fridge in a closed container. You'll just need to top the dough and bake it the same day.

What kind of mozzarella should I use for this pizza?

A classic ball of mozzarella, well drained, works perfectly. Avoid very wet mozzarella, which would release water during baking.

How long does it take to make a Pugliese pizza with onions and olives and a green salad?

Count 1 h in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a Pugliese pizza with onions and olives and a green salad?

About 500 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a Pugliese pizza with onions and olives and a green salad cost?

About €2.30 per serving, or €9.20 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, lactose. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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