Travel is the key to living a healthy, joyous, long-lasting life. This summer, I was very fortunate to travel to Italy twice – once on a trip to Milan, and most recently to Naples. It was my first-ever trip to Naples, and I was so excited to be in the birthplace of pizza. We tried many pizzas in Naples: some traditional styles and some contemporary. One that really stood out to me was a salami pizza at Concettina ai Tre Santi by Ciro Oliva that was covered post-bake with taralli. The pizza was savory and delicious, with the salami providing a salty tanginess and the taralli adding crunch. This was definitely in my top five pizzas from the Naples trip.
I made a couple of tweaks when I got home to add the “On Deck” touch to this pizza. I added a sea salt and cracked black pepper crust, which I think plays nicely with both the salami and taralli. Also, I added some chopped parsley and chives to give it a little color. This is a simple, two-topping pizza that left my mouth singing. I could not stop eating it.
- 4 ounces white sauce (recipe below)
- 3 ounces whole milk mozzarella
- 2 ounces smoked mozzarella
- 3 ounces salami (cut into strips)
- 1 ounce chopped taralli
- Sea salt
- Cracked black pepper
- Parsley
- Chives
- Stretch dough to desired size. Spread the whole milk mozzarella and smoked mozzarella over your dough. Drizzle with white sauce, followed by salami strips. Bake at 550 F for eight to 10 minutes or desired doneness. While pizza is cooking, rough chop taralli into small pieces and set aside.
- Remove pizza from oven and apply sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Cut and sprinkle parsley, chives and the taralli pieces.
- 2 ounces olive oil
- 2 medium yellow onions
- 3 ounces chopped garlic
- 2 tablespoons salt
- ½ gallon whole milk
- 8 ounces flour
- 8 ounces butter
- Melt the butter over medium/low heat until it starts to bubble. Add flour and whisk to combine. Cook for about one minute.
- In a small stock pot, add olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook for three to four minutes, then add garlic. Once onions and garlic are translucent, add milk and stir occasionally until milk begins to boil. Turn down the flame and whisk in the roux. Once incorporated, remove from heat and let sit for five to 10 minutes.
- While sauce is still warm, add to a blender and slowly blend until smooth. Be careful, as sauce will still be warm while blending.
CHRIS DECKER is co-founder of Truly Pizza.
Read the November 2025 Issue of Pizza Today Magazine
This month, we are diving deep on all things cheese. Learn how the fluctuating commodities market can impact the price you pay for mozzarella and other block cheeses. Then, find out how operators are using craft beer cheddar, gorgonzola and plant-based cheeses made from cashews, coconuts, peas and other bases to create pizzas that are visually and gastronomically stunning. Round out your education for the month by brushing up on pizzeria art, SOPs and winter squash.
Check out the full Digital Edition – Pizza Today November 2025.
