Pizza Marinara in the UK: what it is, how to order it, where to find it
Quick answer
The Marinara is the other original Neapolitan pizza: tomato, garlic, oregano and olive oil, with no cheese. Older than the Margherita, it was the sailors' pizza, named for the sea not for seafood, and it contains none. It is the purest test of a pizzeria's dough and tomato, and the cheapest thing on the menu.
Calories and nutrition
- Calories
- 650
- Protein
- 16 g
- Carbs
- 95 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Salt
- 3.2 g
560–780 kcal
Portion: One 12-inch marinara, about 220 g.
Vegan and lower in fat than a cheese pizza; carbohydrate is high from the base.
Estimates for a typical portion, based on standard UK and USDA food composition data. Actual values depend on the recipe and the restaurant.
What a Marinara is
Just crushed San Marzano tomato, thinly sliced or crushed garlic, dried oregano, extra virgin olive oil and salt on a Neapolitan base, baked fast in a wood oven. No mozzarella, no basil in the strict version. Because there is no cheese to soften it, the tomato and the dough have to be excellent, which is why Neapolitans order it to judge a new pizzeria. It is vegan by default and, at a good place, one of the best pizzas on the menu despite costing the least.
Marinara versus Margherita
The Margherita adds mozzarella and basil; the Marinara stays bare. The Marinara is sharper, more about the tomato and garlic, and lets the char of the crust come through. If you like the crust and the sauce more than the cheese, it is the better order. Together they are the two DOC Neapolitan pizzas, the only two the strictest tradition recognises.
How to judge it
The tomato should be bright and fresh-tasting, the garlic present but not raw and harsh, the crust blistered and soft. Without cheese there is nowhere to hide a poor base or a dull tomato. A good Marinara is proof a pizzeria has its fundamentals right.
Where it is done well in the UK
Proper Neapolitan pizzerias, now in most UK cities, are the place for a Marinara; chains rarely offer it because it exposes them. Our directory lists areas with the most Italian restaurants and pizzerias.
How to order it
Order a Marinara to test a pizzeria's dough and tomato without cheese getting in the way. It is vegan and usually the cheapest pizza. If it is excellent, the rest of the menu will be too.
Where it's done well
UK councils with the most pizza marinara specialists, by restaurant name, in our directory.
Restaurants near you
Search by postcode or use your location to find restaurants likely to serve pizza marinara near you.
Make it at home
Serves 2 · 90 min
Ingredients
- Neapolitan pizza dough (see the Margherita recipe)
- 150 g San Marzano tomatoes, crushed
- 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
- dried oregano
- extra virgin olive oil, salt
Method
- Stretch a proved dough ball by hand into a thin round with a thicker rim.
- Spread crushed tomato seasoned with salt, scatter the garlic and a pinch of oregano, and drizzle with olive oil.
- Bake in the hottest possible oven on a stone or steel for 6 to 8 minutes until the rim is blistered.
- Finish with a thread more oil out of the oven.
With no cheese, the tomato and dough are everything. Use good tinned San Marzano and a long-proved base.