Pizza is a dish loved by millions and can grace a get-together with friends or any family celebration. However, not everyone thinks about what combinations of drinks or light appetizers would be perfect for the traditional Italian dish. What drinks, sauces, and salads can spice up the rich taste of your favorite pizza?
Dishes to go with pizza
Pizza is a stand-alone dish, but for a family dinner or holiday party, you need to dilute the table with other dishes. However, meat dishes or complete side dishes won’t go with flavorful pizza: it’s quite hearty, and it will suffice. We suggest diluting the dinner with interesting salads or drinks.
Sauces
Very often the standard sauce for pizza remains a tomato option like barbecue or tomato sauce. However, a good pizza dough should be balanced by the sauce so that you don’t want to add more tomatoes or sauces from it. The other thing is the spiciness. The concept is quite subjective, so many people like to add a little Tabasco. This is a very spicy sauce based on hot chili peppers. It’s a real hit at feasts in Mexico or other South American countries. If you like it spicy, tabasco is the perfect savory addition to pizza. You only need a couple of drops, so the spiciness doesn’t overpower the bouquet of flavors and aromas of the most flavorful dish.
Salads
Since a good pizza should have plenty of sauces and toppings, light salads of fresh vegetables can balance out that flavor. If you’ve chosen a non-vegetarian dish, it doesn’t make sense to have pizza with Caesar salad or Chop salad, which consist of meat ingredients, among other things. Lighter versions of Greek salad or just a mix of salad leaves and fresh vegetables are another matter. Instead of meat, an expensive cheese, nuts or an unusual sauce will add spice to the salad. Do not eat pizza with complex salads with mayonnaise or sour cream. Give preference to olive oil.
Drinks
If you are thinking with what to serve pizza from drinks, then study the preference of guests: some give preference to alcoholic beverages, others do not drink alcohol at all. Eat this traditional dish the same way as the true Italians – with wine. Those who take non-alcoholic company, it is more difficult: they have to find alternative options with what to serve the main decoration of the table.
Wine is the best choice
Wine is considered a classic for Italian dishes in principle, and for pizza as well. Suitable varieties of Italian wines, it is better to give preference to red semi-dry or dry. White wine is eaten with seafood, so if the dish includes them, you can serve it too.
Lemonade is a non-alcoholic option
Kids eat pizza with lemonade, it perfectly sets off the flavor of the tomato, cheese and basil in the dish. Better is the classic flavor without all the fillers: the sourness of the lemon will not turn the pizza into a dessert.
Desserts with which it is better to combine pizza
Classic Italian Desserts
Go with a classic Italian dessert to complement the pizza. Bring home some tiramisu, ladyfingers slathered in delicious cream, or whip it up at home for a day or two ahead-or less than two hours, including refrigeration. Guests are treated to an easy pizza finish with small plates of biscotti. These crispy cookies pair well with espresso drinks or coffee, and they’re great for a pizza picnic. Anise biscotti have a subtle flavor similar to licorice paste, and chocolate-covered almond cookies tend to be crowd pleasers.
Frozen Delights
For a quick Italian dessert, opt for what Italians call gelato: gelato. In warm weather, Italian-style gelato makes a nice chill after pizza. With basic ingredients including eggs, cream and electric ice cream, make your own ice cream in just three hours, including freezing time and 30 minutes of work time. You can even get the kids to work on it. For kids’ parties, ice cream is always a hit. Neapolitan covers bases for all tastes or offers your choice of flavors.
Holiday Fruit Treats.
A tray of fresh, seasonal fruit offers a refreshing sweetness that is light and satisfying in the summer. Organize your choice of washed fruit, including figs, apricots, grapes and berries, for a casual snack presentation, coming to the end of the pizza. Drizzle lemon juice over sliced fruit prone to discoloration, including apples, pears and bananas. Keep the pizza casual by serving chocolate-covered fruit kebabs. Fresh strawberries, sliced kiwi and tangerines offer color and refreshing flavor. You can also offer bowls of cooked fruit and chocolate fondue.
Fresh, assorted fruit in a bowl Decadent Endings
A tasteless chocolate cake with raspberries makes an unforgettable choice. It usually requires only five ingredients and less than two hours. New York cheesecake, with its rich texture and distinctive flavor, can stand up to pizza and beer despite the risk of pampering. No-bake cheesecake offers a quick option for a party on a busy day – make it ahead of time to give it at least four hours. Combine one in about 35 minutes with shredded cookie crust and regular or low-fat cream cheese filling. Or go for the quick and bright end. Take the finished crème brûlée and light it at the table with a mini burner or cigarette lighter.