Last Updated on October 4, 2024
Are you a pizza lover? Does the very thought of a delicious pie with luscious toppings and hot molten cheese atop a crispy crust make you hungry? What if you could have a big slice of pizza pie with half the carbs, calories, gluten, salt and fat… yet with all the robust flavors? Is that even possible?
Yes. It’s called Pinsa, Pinsa Romana.
Is this something new and trendy? The answer is “no.” The origins of pinsa, pronounced “peens-ah,” can be traced back to Ancient Rome. It is believed by some to be the oldest form of pizza; pinsa-like flatbreads have been a local specialty in Rome for centuries.
I experienced my first pinsa in Rome years ago and it was so good it became imprinted on my brain. With time, and thinking I’d never find it back home in the U.S., I kind of forgot about it – until recently.
I had lunch at Pizzicata Ristorante Pizzeria, a charming Italian restaurant in Carefree, AZ set amidst the scenic boulders and mountains of northern Scottsdale. My husband looked over to see my big saucer eyes as I stared at the menu realizing their house specialty was, of all things – Pinsa!
When Pizzicata owners Federico Venturini and his wife Chef Viola immigrated from Umbria, Italy almost a decade ago, like many, they came in pursuit of the American dream. Knowing that Pinsa was just becoming familiar to Americans as the healthier cousin of pizza, they brought their family’s recipes with them.
Their intuition paid off. In 2023, they were elated when their restaurant was certified as the state’s first “authentic pinseria” by the Authentic Roman Pinsa Association. There are only about five certified pinserias so far in the U.S. and roughly 20 elsewhere in the world, according to the association.
Pinsa Romana has been found to offer a healthier alternative to traditional pizza, is easier to digest, plus it’s typically topped with fresh ingredients providing good nutrients.
What is Pinsa?
What’s the difference between pinsa and regular pizza?
Pinsa hails from ancient Rome, while pizza didn’t appear until the 18th century in Naples after the introduction of the tomato to Europe from the Americas.
Pinsa has been traced back to records in ancient Rome as a type of flatbread that was made by peasants using a mixture of grains like millet, barley, and spelt, because wheat was not readily accessible. Toppings were simple and often included herbs, olive oil, cheeses and cured meats, much like the toppings found on modern pinsa.
The Shape
First, don’t expect your pinsa to be round like a pizza. Fuhgeddaboudit! Your pinsa will arrive oval-shaped, like a flatbread. The word pinsa is derived from the verb pinsere, meaning to pin and stretch the dough by hand
Next, you’ll notice it is not flat and crimped around the edges like pizza. A perfect pinsa dough comes out of the oven airy, light, puffy and honeycombed with little air pockets, and that my friends is the delicious secret!
Let’s Talk Dough
In order to be certified as authentic, pinsaioli (pinsa makers) must maintain a strict protocol when creating their pinsas. While pizza dough is made using only wheat flour, an authentic Pinsa Romana is a blend of GMO-free Italian wheat, rice flour, soy flour, and about 75% more water than used in pizza dough.
It’s the use of rice flour in pinsa dough that contributes to the need for a much higher water content. Rice flour absorbs water more effectively than wheat flour, so more water is needed to create a dough that is soft and elastic. The higher water content also helps to achieve the soft interior of pinsa while maintaining a light and crunchy exterior crust.
Pinsa dough is then fermented cold, at about 36-degrees Fahrenheit, for a much longer period than pizza dough that ferments for only a few hours. Chefs making authentic pinsa dough let nature take its course while the dough evolves for up to 72 hours. It is this unique process that breaks down the starches and produces an underlayer that is firm but feathery light and more digestible.
The taste is delicious, rendering a crust that is light and crunchy on the outside, but warm and soft on the inside.
Is pinsa healthier than pizza?
There’s been a lot of dialogue about the health benefits of pinsa versus pizza in recent years. Most praise is focused on the superior digestibility of pinsa and the fact that it’s significantly lower in fat, calories, cholesterol, salt and carbs than pizza.
Other health benefits derive from the fact that pinsa generally uses little or no tomato sauce and less cheese. Less cheese? Horrors! My first thoughts too. But I can attest that with the perfect combination of topping and a light molten layer of mozzarella, pinsa is absolutely delectable.
When I first discovered pinsa in Rome several years back I loved the rich flavors on a light, but crunchy crust. Little did I know I was on to something. Pinsa is now a fresh, innovative food that has caught on in many major cities across the U.S.
Federico and Chef Viola recently opened their second Pizzicata Restorante in Mesa, AZ, twice the size of the original Pizzicata Carefree, and offering lovely golf course views along with their delicious Pinsa Romana.
If your travels are not bringing you to Arizona soon, there are a number of Italian restaurants across the U.S. beginning to offer this original Roman pizza, from Los Angeles to Seattle, Denver to Dallas, and Boston to New York City.
So, while it may be a stretch to label Pinsa Romana a health food, it’s definitely a delizioso authentic slice of Italy!
I found samples of where to experience pinsa with a quick google search. Too many to list here, so just google “pinsa” to discover where you can experience this delicious taste of Italy near you.
- Pizzicata, 7212 E. Ho Rd, Spanish Village, Carefree, AZ 85377
- Pizzicata, 6210 East Mckellips Road, Mesa, AZ, 85215
- All Roads, 145 S. Barrington Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90049
- Rione XIII, on Capitol Hill, 401 15th Ave. E, Seattle, WA 9811
- Olivers Italian, (Cherry Creek area of Denver) 4950 S Yosemite St, Greenwood Village, CO
- La Pinsa Mia, 921 W Commerce St Dallas, TX 75208
- Pasta Beach, 30 Rowes Wharf, Boston, MA 02110
- Tonda Pizza, 1231 Broadway, NYC, (corner of 30th Street)
- Montesacro, 432 Union Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11211
