From Naples to Your Backyard: The Story of Neapolitan Pizza

There’s something special about a Neapolitan-style pizza.

The soft, airy crust. The charred little bubbles around the edges. The simple toppings. And that moment when it comes out piping hot and gets sliced up just seconds before you take the first bite.

But this style of pizza didn’t start in a trendy restaurant. Its story goes back hundreds of years to the streets of Naples, Italy.

Where It All Started

Pizza has existed in different forms for centuries, but the pizza we recognize today really began taking shape in Naples during the 1700s and 1800s.

Naples was a busy, crowded city, and people needed food that was inexpensive, filling, and easy to eat. Flatbreads topped with simple ingredients became incredibly popular, especially among working-class Neapolitans.

And just like that, one of the world’s greatest foods began as street food.

Early pizzas were incredibly simple. Tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, cheese, and herbs were used to create something that was inexpensive but packed with flavor.

No giant list of toppings. No complicated recipes.

Great dough. Great ingredients. Really high heat.

That basic idea is still at the heart of Neapolitan pizza today.

The Famous Margherita

You can’t talk about Neapolitan pizza without talking about the Margherita.

According to the traditional story, in 1889, pizzaiolo Raffaele Esposito created a pizza in honor of Queen Margherita of Italy using ingredients that represented the colors of the Italian flag:

Red: Tomato
White: Mozzarella
Green: Basil

The Pizza Margherita became one of the most famous pizzas in the world—and more than 130 years later, it’s still hard to beat.

It’s also one of our favorites at Costa Crust.

What Makes Neapolitan-Style Pizza Different?

The magic starts with the dough.

Traditional Neapolitan pizza is known for a thin, tender center surrounded by a light, airy crust. Instead of being baked slowly, the pizza is cooked at extremely high temperatures for a very short amount of time.

That intense heat gives the crust its signature combination of softness, chew, and little spots of char.

At Costa Crust, our dough goes through a 24-hour fermentation process before your event. We then stretch, top, and cook each pizza onsite in our Gozney pizza oven.

The pizzas cook in roughly 90 seconds, which means guests get to watch the entire process happen right in front of them.

And that’s half the fun.

From Naples to an Orange County Backyard

This is the part of the Neapolitan pizza tradition we love most.

Pizza is supposed to be social.

It’s meant to be made fresh, shared with other people, and eaten while it’s hot.

That’s exactly what we wanted Costa Crust to be.

Instead of delivering stacks of pizzas that were made 30 minutes ago, we bring the pizza-making experience to the party.

We set up onsite, fire up the oven, and start making pizzas. Guests can watch the dough being stretched, see their pizza go into the oven, and smell it cooking while they wait.

Then, about 90 seconds later—pizza!

We keep them coming throughout the event so there’s always something fresh hitting the table.

Simple Pizza. Great Ingredients. Good Times.

Hundreds of years after people started eating pizza on the streets of Naples, the basic idea really hasn’t changed much.

Start with great dough.

Use quality ingredients.

Cook it hot and fast.

Eat it fresh.

And enjoy it with people you like.

That’s what we love about Neapolitan-style pizza, and it’s what inspired the experience we’re creating at Costa Crust.