The Neapolitan Parigina is a specialty of Naples street food, composed of three layers: a base of pizza dough, a filling of tomato, cooked ham, and mozzarella (or scamorza or provola), and a puff pastry topping.
Its name has no ties to the city of Paris but derives from the Neapolitan “pa’ reggin'”, meaning “for the queen”, in honor of Queen Maria Carolina of Austria.
The Parigina has its roots in Bourbon Naples, dating back to the late 1700s and early 1800s.
It is said to have been created by a “monsù” (French chef) at the Bourbon court, a pupil of Marie Antoine Carême, who introduced puff pastry.
I decided to make a round, gluten-free version with sourdough and cooked on the kamado.
Preparing the Neapolitan Parigina on the Kamado can be even better than a traditional oven, thanks to the even cooking and the Kamado’s ability to retain moisture and heat similar to a wood-fired oven, as for:
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 8 Hours
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 6People
- Cooking methods: Other
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 14 oz gluten-free flour mix
- 7 oz fresh sourdough (refreshed)
- 1.25 cups water
- 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- 5 oz cooked ham
- 5 oz provola (or scamorza or mozzarella)
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- as needed extra virgin olive oil
- as needed salt
- 2 sheets gluten-free puff pastry
Tools
- 1 Baking Stone 10 inches
- 1 Barbecue kamado
- 1 charcoal
Steps
Dough:
Mix all the dry ingredients.
Add the sourdough, water, and oil.
Knead until you get a soft, hydrated but not liquid mass.
Let rise for 6–8 hours at 75–79°F covered with plastic wrap.
Grease the pan.
Spread the risen dough with wet hands. I divided the dough into two to cook on the kamado using a baking stone or in a pan of about 10 inches.
Add a thin layer of previously cooked tomato with a drizzle of oil and salt, then provola or mozzarella or scamorza, then ham.
Cover with pierced puff pastry.
Brush with egg.
Cooking on the Kamado:
Indirect setup, baking stone.
Temperature: 392°F indirect.
Cook for 35–40 minutes.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Is Neapolitan Parigina rectangular or round?
Traditionally, Neapolitan Parigina is rectangular, given its nature as sliced street food (like slice pizza).
However, it can absolutely be prepared round as well, especially at home or if you want to serve it like a “rustic tart”. The shape doesn’t affect the outcome, as long as you adapt the quantities and the pan (or Kamado stone).
Rectangular → traditional style, perfect for even portions.
Round → more rustic, original, spectacular also to serve whole.
