MM_pizza_cookbook

Pizza is the essence of simplicity. Originating in Naples, Italy, over 200 years ago, modern marinara pizza was—and remains– little more than flat bread topped with fresh tomatoes, oregano, garlic and olive oil. It doesn’t get any easier. Brought to America by the first wave of Italian immigrants around 1900, pizza’s popularity soared after World War II as soldiers returning from Italy brought their love for the simple tomato pie to hometowns across America. But in the decades since, American pizza diverged from the original Neapolitan concept of lightness; simply dressed flat breads gave way to thick pies layered with salty, greasy cheese and processed meats. Pizza has become junk food, often cited as a contributor to the country’s pressing health crisis. Meatless Monday wants to inspire you to reclaim pizza’s simple roots. With bread as your plate and fresh ingredients as your guide, we’ve collected 10 tempting, meatless pizza recipes from some of the country’s most respected cookbook authors. So discover your inner pizzaiolo! Make one of these delicious pies for your next Meatless Monday, and even the meat lovers in your family will be asking for another slice.