This Pizza Is Called “The Sailor’s Wife,” And It’s Practically Naked
The joys of Pizza Marinara, the first Neapolitan-style pizza
If you had to name the simplest Neapolitan-style pizza to ever exist, what would it be?
Chances are, Margherita comes to mind, its svelte base topped with tomato sauce, cow’s or buffalo’s milk mozzarella, and fresh basil, plus concentric rings of extra virgin olive oil swirled on top. Sometimes, pizzaiolos will sprinkle grated parmesan or pecorino on the cooked pie right out of the oven (one of the few tweaks permitted by the regulations that govern this pizza’s making).
And indeed, Margherita is the most famous pizza of all.
Named after Queen Margherita of Savoy, it was created in 1889 by pizzaiolo Raffaele Esposito in honor of her and King Umberto I’s visit to Naples.
The way the story goes, the queen noticed Naples’ peasants eating pizza, a common street food among hungry sailors and laborers at the time, so she instructed the Royal Palace staff to bring in the city’s best pizzaiolo, so he could make a pizza for her to try.
That pizzaiolo happened to be Esposito — chef, restaurateur, and owner of the Pizzeria di Pietro e Basta Cosi — who prepared a pizza with green, white, and red to symbolize il…
