Pizza is an excellent traditional Italian dish that is perfect for a meal on any occasion. As a rule, additional components, which go with this dish, can emphasize the rich taste. So, what to serve with pizza?
Ideal drinks for salty pizza are milk, kefir, tea with milk, or a coffee latte with cream. Gourmets find the excellent accordance of the Italian dish with cola.
Pizza also pairs well with wine and beer. White wine goes well with fish, chicken, vegetable, and cheese fillings, red wine with meat, sausage, and mushroom fillings. Spicy fillings will sparkle with all colors with sweet and spicy wines.
Everything depends solely on personal preferences. So, let’s look at this issue in more detail.
What To Serve With Pizza?
You may supplement the dish with drinks – wine, juices, mineral water, or tea. You should consider guests’ preferences when choosing because many combine pizza with beer or strong alcohol.
In addition, some gourmets choose drinks in combination with the type of filling: red wine is perfect for meat pizza, light seafood or vegetable dishes are more beneficial with white wine.
What goes with pizza besides sauce? Vegetable-based salads will help balance high-calorie foods. Here the choice is purely individual. For meat fillings, it is good to serve Caesar salad or other salads with meat, and vegetarian fillings complement vegetables well.
1. Soup
No matter your main meal, soup is typically an excellent introduction. And one of the things I admire about soup is how many different variations there are to suit your preferences.
Try a light tomato soup as an example if you’re seeking a lightweight approach to start your evening. It’s the perfect accompaniment to your hearty pizza.
If you don’t mind something thick and creamy, try cream of mushroom soup. Mushroom soup has an earthy, umami taste. It tastes almost as good as pizza!
2. Ratatouille
Ratatouille is a relatively simple dish whose classic recipe includes zucchini, peppers, and eggplant. The very preparation of delicious ratatouille at home is a straightforward process with fried and stewed ingredients in one container.
Thanks to the sauce, the dish turns out juicy and fragrant. The French usually serve ratatouille as the main course, but I have enjoyed it as a side dish to pizza. The all-vegetable ingredients reduce the greasy feeling of the pizza.
3. Caesar Salad
Because a decent pizza should have a lot of sauces and toppings, light salads cooked with fresh vegetables can help balance out the flavor. It’s futile to eat pizza with Caesar salad, which contains meat products if you’ve ordered a non-vegetarian dish.
Another option is light Greek salads or just a salad of lettuce leaves and fresh veggies. Instead of spicy meat, you can enhance the salad with pricey cheese, almonds, or an exciting sauce.
You should not serve pizza with elaborate salads using mayonnaise or sour cream. Olive oil will help enhance your dish.
4. Potato Salad
Potato salad is a simple and versatile dish that is very popular globally. Almost all cuisines in the world have their recipe for this dish.
You can combine it with fish cutlets or turkey cutlets to make it a nutritious snack or a side dish to pizza. It’s creamy, cheesy, and oh so hearty. No one can say no to this.
5. Ham and Fig Salad
Italian salad is the most characteristic of the southern part. Combining such inharmonious products as figs and prosciutto perfectly combines honey mustard sauce. The highlight of this salad is the blue Roquefort cheese.
In the recipe with ham and figs, I advise you to use goat cheese. Its unusual aftertaste perfectly and harmoniously complements this dish. The beautiful salad is perfect for special occasions and romantic dinners.
6. Cannoli
Cannoli, crispy rolls stuffed with ricotta and candied fruit, are a traditional Sicilian dessert. The beauty of them is that they are relatively easy to prepare.
A crispy dough crumbles on the tongue, soft ricotta, fragrant candied fruit, and chocolate. Everything that we love in desserts is in a tube.
It is a wafer tube with curd filling. And also, there are recipes with ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, and cream.
7. Mozzarella Balls
Mozzarella balls are one of the most delicious dishes in which all these qualities of mozzarella are essential.
The balls have a golden crust and a stretchy, fragrant, creamy, cheesy-cheese center! It’s tasty, and cooking such cheese balls is quick and easy.
8. Stuffed Tater Tots
Stuffed potatoes are delicious with juicy pulp, soaked in different flavors, delicate filling, and delightful aroma. Potatoes stuffed with various fillings are suitable for any occasion.
The dish will become the king of the feast. Its original presentation and excellent taste will ensure the success of the event.
9. Roasted Brussel Sprouts
Roasted Brussels sprouts are a delicious pizza topping! These magnificent sprouts are pretty easy to create and require minimal effort.
Breadcrumbs add refinement to the meal, making it more fascinating and unique. Brussels sprouts in little green cabbages cooked with hazelnuts and sesame seeds make an excellent side dish for meat and fish entrees.
Try this easy and quick Brussels sprouts dish with almonds and sesame seeds if you’re a fussy eater. Fried Brussels sprouts are delicious, colorful, and unique!
10. Zucchini Fries
Want some fries with your pizza but don’t want to eat all of them? I have the solution: zucchini fries.
As a snack, these zucchini fries are delicious. You can use ketchup, sweet and sour sauce, barbeque sauce, pesto, and even mayonnaise to serve them. Even if they don’t taste precisely like French fries, they’re still yummy!
You should bake the zucchini fries, which will result in a lower fat content than if you fry them in deep fat.
11. Onion Rings
Fragrant, juicy, and crispy onion rings are the most straightforward and delicious snacks. You can cook an excellent appetizer or side dish with little labor and minimal expense.
Juicy and with an unusual taste of onion in a crispy dough is to the taste of many. There are different options for kneading the batter, and according to this recipe, you can make batter on sour cream, eggs, flour and fry the rings in a pan in a large amount of oil.
12. Spinach Artichoke Dip
Americans eat chips, crackers, and pizza with mashed snacks or dunking sauces. Cheese dipping sauce with spinach and artichokes is one of the most popular sauces in the USA.
The classic version includes a lot of mayonnaise, plus cream cheese, heavy cream, or sour cream. You can make your spinach and artichoke dip at home, which almost looks like the same delicious American sauce.
First, boil the Parmesan cheese sauce in a saucepan. And at the very end, add the artichokes, spinach, and grated cheddar.
13. Marinated Olives
Pickled olives are a tasty side dish to serve alongside pizza. If you know how to pickle olives, you’ll have no trouble making a tasty vermouth appetizer.
They improve the flavor. Capers and lemon zest assist in tempering the heat.
Surprise your visitors by selecting the correct recipe. Gourmet snack connoisseurs will not resist such a visually appealing meal.
14. Mango Sorbet
Sorbet is a cold fruit dessert, perfect in every way. It stands out like all French dishes by its delicate taste, light texture, and elegant appearance.
We usually serve liquid sorbet, not completely frozen. This option is convenient to pour into glasses and eat with a spoon.
In summer, It’s great to go with this with pizza. Delicious and fresh desserts will not hurt your figure at all.
15. Pesto Spaghetti
Spaghetti with Pesto Sauce is a boiling pasta dish with a lumpy green pesto sauce. It’s nearly hard to encounter someone who doesn’t enjoy this meal. Everyone, big and little, wants it.
You can pick any addition to the main recipe based on your preferences. For example, if you add shrimp, your product becomes a deep-sea present.
You may get a taste of the woodland thicket by adding mushrooms. Adding tomatoes will bring back memories of summer days spent in the countryside with your grandma.
Typically, we can serve this meal with pizza as part of a lunch. Supplements are also essential for persons who live a very active lifestyle.
16. Garlic Bread
Adding chopped garlic and garlic juice directly to the dough of the future baguette delivers the incredible taste and the magical aroma.
Toasted baguette slices with spicy, sour cream-garlic sauce and cucumbers are a great idea not only for a snack or breakfast but also for pizza! Sour cream sauce-spread perfectly complements crispy toasts, garlic is felt in it, and cucumber slices bring a pleasant refreshing touch.
17. Meatballs
Meatballs are a beautiful dish, balls of minced meat or fish boiled in broth. Recipes for meatballs differ only in a set of spices. They include minced beef, chicken, or fish with finely chopped onions and herbs.
The secret of the juicy meatballs of Italian chefs is the mixture of several types of meat. Masters skillfully mix lamb with pork and beef or only beef with pork.
You may serve the meatballs in soup or gravy and complex sauces. The best dish includes homemade sour cream and fresh herbs.
Pizza toppings are no longer surprising. But if you’d like to do it, try making an unusual pizza with lamb meatballs.
18. Beef Carpaccio
Carpaccio is a delicious cold appetizer that was born in Venice. Its peculiarity lies in that it can easily excite human taste buds.
It helps to feel the taste of different dishes better. In addition, the snack has a positive effect on health. Beef restores red blood cells in human blood, and spices can improve digestion.
If you consider yourself a true gourmet, you should try this Italian dish. Such a delicious cold appetizer can whet the appetite of any guest and make him wait for it.
19. Tomato Soup
If your relatives always demand pizza and want to feed them soup, cook them a delicious, hearty pizza soup with minced meat, sausages, cheese, and tomatoes.
This tomato soup with only four ingredients is a must-try. It’s preferable if it’s not salted. So a steaming cup of tomato soup will suffice.
Remember that whether you use crushed, canned, diced, or fresh tomatoes, the results may differ.
20. Parmesan Bites
A liberal sprinkling of parmesan cheese tops these garlic-herb butter-topped parmesan bread nibbles. Inspired by Dominos parmesan pieces, these buttery, garlicky, and addictive garlic nibbles are great on their own or with marinara sauce.
When I get to our pizza’s crust, I crack it open, stick my nose inside, and take a deep breath. Because of the cheese and garlic taste, they make a terrific appetizer, snack, or game-day finger food.
21. No-Mash Guac
Guacamole is a thick Mexican avocado dip. Its aroma, unique taste, and freshness make this sauce popular on different continents. The ingredients are grapefruit, oranges, mint, fennel, parsley, arugula, blood oranges, and lemon.
The color scheme is an adorable blend of greens and reds. To prevent squishing the avocado, gently combine the ingredients.
There are different traditions of making guacamole. Guacamole is especially good with corn tortilla nacho chips and fresh vegetables or bread toast. You can try eating pizza with a universal recipe with avocado and lime.
22. Coleslaw
Coleslaw is a very healthy and tasty salad with a spicy dressing that will appeal to those who are on a diet, and not only. Cabbage gives volume and saturates, pepper adds sweetness and aroma, and a light dressing of cheese and kefir makes the taste of the salad very rich.
When served hot, pizza with coleslaw is a terrific cold snack or a creative side dish. The crunch of the cabbage and carrots adds a nice tactile contrast to your pizza.
It’s bright and airy as well—the perfect accompaniment to your steaming hot, tasty pizza.
23. A Crisp White Wine
Wine with pizza is like beer with chips. They are simply made for each other.
Whether you’re eating a pizza delivered by a courier or dining at an expensive pizza restaurant, there are plenty of wines to pair with your meal.
White Côte du Rhone wines will work 100% with The classic cheese pizza. Pepperoni pizza has a strong taste. For this reason, you will want a wine that is sufficiently full-bodied, with intense flavors and aromas, to counteract the “pepperoni effect” well.
The sweetish Riesling goes surprisingly well with the taste of Hawaiian pizza. The acidity of the Riesling works as a flavor refresher, while the sweetness of the wine takes the ham and pineapple experience to the next level.
White pizza will allow you to discover two new great combinations. The creamy sauce can make many different pairings.
But Chardonnay will demonstrate an exceptionally harmonious sound of the aromas of green herbs that often accompany white pizza and their shades.
24. Tiramisu
For dessert, how about a slice of decadent tiramisu? It also has a pretty nice look to it. Tiramisu is a multi-layered dessert with cocoa powder, mascarpone cheese, coffee, eggs, sugar, and savoiardi biscuits.
This traditional Italian dessert is light, fluffy, and delightfully creamy, and it’s a great way to round off your dinner.
25. Ciabatta
Ciabatta is characterized by a crispy hard crust and an elongated shape. But inside, everything is entirely different with light, tender pulp, in which there are many large holes.
Based on ciabatta, you can even create a false pizza. You can take ready-made ciabatta and fill it with soft cheese tomato slices.
If you choose cheese, then the ideal option is mozzarella. Next, add parsley and basil leaves between the tomatoes and cheese. It will also provide a wonderful flavor to the dish.
If you can’t find Ciabatta at your local store, you can make it yourself at home with the simple recipe described in the video below:
26. Fruit
Practically you can add any fruits and berries to the dessert pizza recipe. In the summer, when shops and food markets are full of fresh fruits, use this to enrich your menu with vitamins and minerals.
You can add any other fruits to pizza, and you can take apples, kiwi, strawberries. But I liked it better with bananas, and nuts go well with bananas.
Pear pizza is a great diet option. It turns out to be a beautiful dish that you can offer to guests as a dessert after some slice of pizza. And you can cook it exceptionally quickly.
FAQs
How do you serve pizza?
Usually, you can cut the pizza into 4, 6, or 8 slices, depending on the size. For the convenience of customers, you can serve pizza with a triangular serving spatula.
It will help you transfer the pizza from a tray or board to a plate without getting your hands dirty. By the way, if you need to cut the pizza into perfectly even pieces, pay attention to a special pizza cutting board. And of course, don’t forget the pizza cutters.
What alcoholic drink goes with pizza?
In principle, we consider wine a classic for Italian dishes and pizza. Italian wines are more suitable for serving with pizza.
It is better to give preference to red, semi-dry, or dry. So, you can serve seafood pizza with white wine.
What is the most common vegetable on pizza?
The best vegetables for pizza, in my opinion, are tomatoes and bell peppers. Tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, in particular, lighten and refresh pizza.
Among vegetarian pizzas, you can often find ingredients such as broccoli, artichokes, zucchini, eggplant, and even cucumbers and potatoes, all kinds of greens. I don’t really like this combination, but you can add these vegetables to taste as much as you like.
The Bottom Line
One of the standard options is various sauces and seasonings. Traditionally, tomato sauce options can pair with meat filling, and fish or vegetables harmoniously go with sour cream or mayonnaise liquid seasoning.
In addition, it is appropriate to order a light salad for pizza. The best solution would be “Greek” and any vegetable with herbs or olive oil.
The main drink served with Italian flatbread is wine. Beer is no less popular, and meat pizza traditionally goes with dark beer.
These are only general recommendations because pizza is an informal dish. What to serve with pizza?
There is no unequivocal answer for everyone. Preferences in this matter are different for everyone because the main thing is that it is tasty.