The Classic Dish The Pasta Queen Calls 'Italy's Greatest Invention'

If you can't get enough of Italian dishes like pizza, pasta, and risotto, then there's a new show on the block that you need to watch. The show, called "The Pasta Queen," named after the host who goes by the same nickname, aired on October 24, 2024 on Prime Video, and is a culinary adventure through Italy.

The series follows Nadia Caterina Munno, the Italian-born host of the show as well as chef and influencer, as she travels through different parts of Italy. Along the way, she discusses and learns about different regional ingredients before using them to prepare tasty, classic Italian recipes in her kitchen. What adds some extra flair to the show is that Munno herself hails from Rome, and comes from a family of pasta and winemakers who have been operating since the 1800s.

While Munno explores plenty of different recipes on the show, there's one in particular that she claims is "Italy's greatest invention" — Pizza Margherita. This simple yet tasty pizza consists only of mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce, and basil as toppings, but packs a powerful punch in terms of flavor.

When it comes to delicious homemade pizza recipes, the reality is that while there are plenty of tasty toppings you can add to your dish, there are few combinations that are quite as classic as the Pizza Margherita. Nadia Caterina Munno explains in Season 1, Episode 5 of "The Pasta Queen" that "pizza Margherita has become a staple in the entire world. It is the most well-known pizza on this planet... maybe even other planets."

Munno then dives into the famous pizza's backstory. As legend has it, pizza Margherita originated in Naples. At the time Queen Margherita had become bored of the usual palace fare, and one Italian chef chose to try to revive her tastebuds by creating a selection of three pizzas. As he considered what ingredients to use, he had a eureka moment — he would create a pizza that represented the green, white, and red of the Italian flag. When the queen tasted the tri-color pizza, she loved it so much that the chef named it after her.

Since then, the pizza has become a staple on the menu at just about any pizza joint or Italian restaurant. It's simple, but the creamy mozzarella, sweet notes and acidity from the tomato, and aromatic basil create a beautifully balanced dish. As Munno asserts, this pizza truly is "Italy's gift to humanity."