This pizza calls for deep frying the dough shortly before it is topped with marinara sauce, cheese, and basil, and then thrown into an oven for a final touch. The last step is said to imbue the pizza with a somewhat smoky, toasted flavor and make the crust light and airy, with a nice crunch to it.

Although it might seem like a newly-concocted dish, this deep-fried pizza specialty is actually a variety of Italian pizza that dates way back in time and is believed to have its roots in the mountains surrounding Naples. The pizza’s origins are reflected in its name montanara, meaning coming from the mountain or mountain-style pizza. 

A representative of traditional Neapolitan cuisine, pizzelle napoletane are small deep-fried pizzas that are traditionally topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella or grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, and fresh basil leaves. Often referred to as montanare or montanarine because of their resemblance to pizza montanara, these pizzas are prepared with soft, leavened and yeasty dough that is shaped into round, flattened pizzas, which are then fried in oil and become puffy and light.

Once a staple of Naples’ cucina povera, pizzelle napoletane are nowadays a favorite street food item sold by numerous street vendors throughout the city. Savory and flavor-packed, these tiny fried pizzas are usually served as appetizers in Neapolitan restaurants and pizzerias, but they are also commonly served as party snacks.

Pizza fritta, also known as fried pizza, is a popular Italian street food originating from Naples. To prepare pizza fritta, the dough (similar to traditional pizza dough, but allowed to rise longer, resulting in a lighter and fluffier texture) is rolled out into small rounds or rectangles and filled with classic pizza ingredients such as tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, ham, mushrooms or vegetables.

The edges of the dough are then folded over to enclose the fillings, and the pizza is carefully deep-fried in hot oil until golden brown and crispy. Once fried, pizza fritta is usually consumed piping hot from a piece of greasy paper, and is sometimes topped with additional ingredients like fresh basil, grated Parmesan cheese, or a drizzle of olive oil.