Potato Pizza with Sauteed Onions

This Potato Pizza recipe is a modern twist of Rome’s Pizza con Patate. Parboiled potatoes are combined with sauteed onions, and mozzarella cheese and topped with fresh tomatoes. This recipe is so simple, yet it’s mouthwateringly good!

Do you enjoy making easy pizza recipes?

Have you ever had a pizza topped with a combination of potatoes and caramelized onions? 

Today, I’m sharing a variation of Rome’s famous Italian potato pizza, also known as pizza con patate.

Combining the perfect balance of flavor and texture—partially roasted potatoes, sauteed onion, fresh tomatoes, and fennel fronds—you’ve never tasted anything so delicious.

Here is a list of ingredients to make this easy homemade pizza.

Ingredients

As usual, the printable recipe card found at the bottom of the page has specific amounts for each ingredient.

• Pizza Dough. Homemade or store-bought. 
• Potatoes. An all-purpose potato like Yukon Gold (yellow potato) works well with this recipe.
• Garlic. A necessary ingredient when making pizza.
• Onions. Sliced and slightly caramelized.
• Olive Oil. Use a high-quality oil for the best results.
• Grated Cheese. Use either Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese or Pecorino Romano Cheese.
• Paprika. A great flavor enhancer when combined with potatoes.
• Mozzarella Cheese. If possible, grate your cheese.
• Tomatoes. Dice garden fresh tomatoes. It makes a great garnish for the potatoes – providing color, fun texture, and flavor.
• Fennel fronds. It contributes such a refreshing taste!

Instructions

Let’s begin by preheating the oven to 500 °F (260 °C). Place the oven rack in the bottom third of the oven. When it’s time to bake the pizza, we will lower the heat to 450 °F (230 °C).

Next comes the pizza dough. Feel free to use store-bought pizza dough or my mom’s recipe for the best homemade pizza dough.

Today, I am using only half of this dough recipe. With the other half, I am planning to make a Margherita pizza.

The pizza dough recipe and all of the details on How to Make Pizza Dough can be found by simply clicking on the highlighted link.

Since I have some in my refrigerator, I place my bowl with my pizza ball on the counter. Make sure to leave the dough covered with the plastic film otherwise a crust will form. The dough needs to be at room temperature before I can even think about stretching it. This can take 1-2 hours, so plan. 

When the ball of pizza dough is at room temperature, use your fingertips, lightly oiled, to stretch and press the dough across the entire surface of your pan. 

Don’t forget to spread a little bit of oil or, if you prefer, butter on the pan before stretching your dough. This makes the bottom-crust of the pizza crispy.

Now, it’s time to prep the ingredients for our Italian pizza recipe.

You will need about 2 to 3 medium-sized yellow potatoes. Peel and slice them about a ⅛- ¼-inch thick. 

Add about a tablespoon of salt to a large pot of water.

Bring to a boil, add the potatoes and then lower the heat to a simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender. Do not overcook; otherwise, they will break when combined with the rest of the pizza topping ingredients.

While the potatoes are simmering, let’s get started with the sautéed garlic and onions. 

Slice about 2-3 medium onions. You also need to chop 2-3 cloves of garlic. 

Heat the olive oil (2 tablespoons) in a large pan over medium-high heat; add the chopped garlic (2 tablespoons or about 3-4 cloves) and sauté for about 30 seconds. 

Next, add the sliced onions (about 3 medium) and sauté until they become soft and caramelize.

Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl to cool down quickly.

By now, the potatoes should be cooked through. Drain and allow to cool down before combining with the cooked onions.

In a large bowl, combine the cooked potatoes with slightly caramelized onions. Next, add the paprika (2 teaspoons) and the grated cheese (2 tablespoons) and combine thoroughly. 

Spread this potato mixture evenly across the top of the pizza dough.

Add the grated mozzarella (¼ cup) along with a sprinkle of paprika (1 teaspoon). Add another tablespoon or so of grated cheese (Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese or Pecorino Romano Cheese) over the top.

Lower the heat to 450 °F (230 °C) and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the pizza’s bottom crust turns a nice golden color. For extra color, place under broiler for the last 1 to 2 minutes of cooking. Keep an eye on it.

It’s now time to garnish our amazing pizza. 

Add some chopped fresh tomatoes (1 medium or a handful of cherry tomatoes) along with some grated cheese (1 tablespoon) and garnish with some fennel fronds.

Wait just a few minutes for the pizza to cool down before cutting it. The cheese sets just a little bit and this, in turn, makes it easier to slice. 

Potato pizza tips

• Both the parboiled potatoes and the caramelized onions must be at room temperature before topping the pizza dough.
• Always season your ingredients when prepping them -this will enhance the overall flavor of the pizza.
• Finely chop your garlic for maximum flavor. Never use a garlic press as the garlic can easily burn.

When is the best time to cut the pizza?

Please wait a few minutes for the cheese and the rest of the ingredients to set before slicing it with your pizza cutter. 

What kind of potatoes should I use?

Yukon Gold potatoes are slightly waxy, which means their texture stays nice and supple without drying out. Their flavor is amazing, so try them out the next time you want to make Potato Pizza! 

Potato dough recipes we love

• Italian Focaccia
• Screppelle aka Italian Donuts
• Potato Cinnamon Rolls

Recipe origins

Growing up Italian meant that Friday night was pizza night. More often than not, my mom would always make the same rectangular-shaped pizza topped with her homemade pizza sauce recipe. I hope you can try it because it is the best no-cook pizza sauce.

Every once in a while, she would make her pizza Bianca, white pizza.  Sometimes it was topped with thinly sliced potatoes previously soaked in salted water. I remember she would always top it with fresh chopped rosemary and nothing else.

Such a simple pizza recipe, yet so delicious!

I was intrigued when my friend Carlo shared his recipe for a roasted potato pizza. I couldn’t wait to try it at home.

I adapted Carlo’s recipe to include more sauteed onions as my family loves these. It is such a great flavor enhancer in any dish.

It was such a hit!

As I write this, I think caramelized cabbage with onions and sausage would make a great pizza topping… but I digress. 

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Ciao for now,

Maria

★★★★★ If you have made this recipe for Potato Pizza, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!