Pizza marinara

Pizza marinara is a Neapolitan pizza made with tomato, garlic, oregano and olive oil, and no cheese. It is named after the sailors' style of cooking, "alla marinara", though the origin of the name is not settled.

What it really is

The base is a thin, leavened wheat dough stretched by hand and baked very hot, traditionally in a wood-fired oven. The topping is a thin layer of crushed or sieved tomato, seasoned with garlic, dried oregano and a little extra virgin olive oil, added before baking. Salt is used lightly. Unlike the Margherita, it carries no mozzarella, which is why it is also described as the cheeseless Neapolitan pizza.

Its look-alikes are the Margherita, which adds fresh mozzarella and basil, and the many tomato-based pizzas sold as "marinara" outside Italy, which often add cheese. In the classic Neapolitan form, the marinara has no cheese and no basil; garlic and oregano carry the flavour.

How it's served

• Eaten whole, on a plate, with a knife and fork or folded in half and eaten by hand, as is usual for Neapolitan pizza.
• Served straight from the oven, while the crust is still crisp at the edges and soft in the centre.
• Usually eaten alone as a main course, often as a simple meal in a pizzeria.
• Not usually served with extra cheese or sauce at the table.

How to write it on the menu

• Write it as "Pizza marinara" with the toppings listed: tomato, garlic, oregano, extra virgin olive oil.
• State that it is made with no cheese, so guests do not expect mozzarella.
• Flag WHEAT, from the dough, for allergen information.
• If the dough is made with a sourdough or a long ferment, or if oregano is fresh rather than dried, say so as a variant.