The Apulian potato pizza is a very popular dish in Apulia. It’s the classic potato gateau, which in other regions is called “Gattò” or “Gatto” of potatoes and is prepared with slightly different recipes.. for us Apulians it’s simply potato pizza! We like it so much that I often make the potato and spinach pie: a recipe very similar to the more well-known potato pizza, but with the addition of spinach. If you wish, you can also try the broccoli and potato pie variant.
It is a recipe ubiquitous on all Apulian tables. It doesn’t have a specific recipe to follow to the letter: every family has their own, “their secret ingredient” that makes it special and unique every time it’s prepared. The Apulian potato pizza is served as a main dish, appetizer, or second course. It’s also a very popular dish for outdoor lunches, at the seaside, and for the classic Easter Monday picnic! In short, every occasion is a good one to prepare it!
Generally, potato pizza has a soft and creamy dough, and I assure you that eating it freshly taken out of the oven, with the steaming dough melting in your mouth and the stretchy mozzarella is an amazing delight! However, it’s not uncommon to find those who prefer a more compact texture: in this case, just put less milk in the dough, and you’ll have a potato pizza that, once cold, can be cut into pieces. There are also recipes where boiled potatoes are not mashed with a potato masher but with a fork: the result will be a more rustic and grainy mixture, but equally good.
The recipe I’m about to give you is the family one, the recipe my mother taught me: we prefer it less compact and not too thick, and to form a super inviting golden crust on the surface, I put a few small pieces of butter here and there that make the gratin even better.
Well, now let’s move on to the recipe and see together how to prepare the delicious Apulian potato pizza! If you’re looking for other potato recipes, have a look at my collection of quick potato recipes!
Moreover, if you like Apulian cuisine, here below are some traditional Apulian recipes I recommend and invite you to try.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 10 Minutes
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 6 People
- Cooking methods: Oven, Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian Regional
- Region: Apulia
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 524.36 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 34.19 (g) of which sugars 2.58 (g)
- Proteins 26.01 (g)
- Fat 31.86 (g) of which saturated 16.65 (g)of which unsaturated 11.84 (g)
- Fibers 3.69 (g)
- Sodium 665.05 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 333 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for Apulian Potato Pizza
- 2.2 lbs potatoes
- 2 eggs
- 7 oz mozzarella (or scamorza)
- 3.5 oz soft table cheese (like Galbanino)
- 5.3 oz mortadella (or cooked ham or 2.6 oz mortadella and 2.6 oz cooked ham)
- 2.5 oz Parmigiano Reggiano DOP
- 0.7 oz extra virgin olive oil
- 3.4 fl oz milk (plus more if needed)
- 1 oz butter
- to taste breadcrumbs
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
Tools
- Baking dish
- Pan
- Potato masher
Preparation of Apulian Potato Pizza
Let’s see together how to prepare Apulian potato pizza, the much-loved potato gateau in Apulia.
First of all, place the well-washed potatoes in a pot full of cold water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cook for about 20-25 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes. In any case, they will be ready when, pricking them with a fork, it will easily enter, and you’ll feel them soft inside.
Let them cool slightly, peel them, and mash them with a potato masher.
Place everything in a large enough bowl.
Add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and mix to combine all the ingredients.
Add a bit of milk as well. I recommend not adding it all from the start: this way, once the mixture is kneaded, you can adjust the consistency. If you like it softer, add more milk (always little by little) until you reach a creamy consistency (like mashed potatoes); if you prefer a more compact potato pizza, do not add more milk.
Salt and pepper the mixture, add diced mortadella (or cooked ham, or you can also put half mortadella and half cooked ham), mozzarella, diced soft cheese, and eggs.
Add the grated Parmigiano or Grana Padano cheese. For a stronger flavor, I recommend using grated Pecorino Romano cheese.
Mix the ingredients with a wooden spoon.
All ingredients should be well combined. At this point, you can adjust the consistency according to your taste, adding or not adding the rest of the milk.
Grease a medium-sized rectangular baking dish (about 10-12 inches long), but any other oven dish will work just fine. If you want, you can sprinkle the bottom with a little breadcrumbs.
Pour the mixture into the baking dish and level the surface with the back of a spoon.
Sprinkle the surface with a bit of grated cheese or breadcrumbs.
Add a few small pieces of butter all over the surface to make the gratin more golden and crispy. Alternatively, a drizzle of olive oil works just fine.
Bake in a preheated oven at 356°F-374°F for about 25-30 minutes: the potato pizza will be ready when its surface is well golden.
Let it cool for a good ten minutes, then serve it hot and steaming.
Storage and Tips
Storage and Tips
– Potato pizza is delicious enjoyed freshly made, hot and steaming. However, if you want to prepare it for special occasions, such as picnics, gatherings with friends, or similar events (occasions where it is more convenient to cut and portion it comfortably), I recommend making a more compact dough and allowing it to cool completely before cutting. Alternatively, you can easily prepare it in individual aluminum containers.
– The potato pizza should be consumed within 24 hours: beyond this time, it may be less good, as the potato loses its initial texture.
– If you have leftovers, store it in the refrigerator, especially if it’s hot, because with the milk, it could sour. You can then reheat it the next day for 10 minutes at 338°F-356°F to make it crispy again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you use instant mashed potatoes to make potato pizza?
The real potato pizza is made with potatoes. However, it’s known that sometimes there isn’t time to do things precisely as tradition dictates… so I say yes, in exceptional cases and if you’re short on time, you can make it with instant mashed potatoes. It won’t be exactly like the original recipe, but it will be a good stuffed potato casserole. You just need to prepare the mashed potatoes as per the instructions, then fill it with cheese, mozzarella, and ham. Place it in an oiled baking dish, sprinkle with cheese and breadcrumbs, and bake until gratin.
Can I make a vegetarian potato pizza?
Sure, you can make a vegetarian potato pizza: you just need to omit the cold cuts and proceed as per the recipe.
Can you make potato pizza in an air fryer?
Yes, you can make Apulian potato pizza in an air fryer. However, consider the size of your air fryer basket. As a general rule, I would suggest halving the amount of this recipe or using two smaller pans that can fit in your air fryer (and doing two batches). In any case, you can cook it at 338°F-356°F for about twenty minutes or until the surface is golden.
Can you make potato pizza lactose-free and/or gluten-free?
As for the gluten-free version, potatoes are naturally gluten-free. You just need to use gluten-free breadcrumbs and make sure all other products used are gluten-free.
For the lactose-free version, it depends on the severity of your intolerance. You can use a plant-based milk alternative, lactose-free products at 0.01% lactose, and use a well-aged Parmesan (the more aged it is, the less lactose it has). If your intolerance is severe and you cannot tolerate even lactose-free products, it will be difficult to replicate the recipe without dairy. It would result in a different outcome from the original recipe. You might try with plant-based cheeses, as long as you like their taste.
