Simple Potato Pizza with Rosemary and Olive Oil (Vegan Pizza Recipe) (2024)

Published Jul 8, 2021 · Modified Sep 24, 2021

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Based on a classic Italian recipe, this potato pizza is as delicious as it is simple, topped with paper-thin sliced potatoes, olive oil, rosemary, and Parmigiano-Reggiano. To make it vegan, just skip the cheese or use shredded vegan cheese instead.

Why This Recipe Works

Wait a minute. Potatoes on pizza?! Isn't that carb overload? The concept might seem strange to you — especially since we're all taught that too many carbs is a bad thing. But potatoes are actually a popular Roman pizza topping, and this is one of the most surprisingly delicious recipes I've made. Biting into a slice of crispy pizza dough blanketed with tender, perfectly seasoned potatoes is a pleasure I never knew I was missing!

As with any other dish with minimal ingredients, the quality of each ingredient is key. Choose an olive oil that tastes good to you; locally grown or organic potatoes with buttery yellow or golden flesh; and the freshest rosemary you can find. If you have a fancy flavored olive oil, this is a great excuse to use it. If you're adding cheese, which I highly recommend unless you're vegan or avoiding dairy, splurge on a small hunk of imported Italian Parmigiano-Reggiano. (Or, visit your favorite local cheese shop and ask for a locally made hard cheese that goes well with potatoes.)

How to Make Potato Pizza

First, slice and soak your potatoes. Using a mandoline slicer* or the large slicer side of a box grater, cut the potatoes into paper-thin slices. Place the potatoes in a bowl of salty water and soak for 30 minutes to 1 hour. This soaking time softens the potatoes so they get nice and creamy-tender in the oven.

When the potatoes are done soaking, drain them well and toss them with extra-virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, minced onion, and chopped fresh rosemary. Then, stretch or roll out your pizza dough and spread the potato mixture on top in an even layer.

Bake the pizza until the bottom of the crust is evenly browned and the potatoes are tender, take it out of the oven, and finish with a drizzle of olive oil, shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, if using, and some more fresh rosemary leaves. If you like that kind of thing, top your slice with a few shakes of hot sauce.

Looking for other classic Italian pizza toppings? Add these recipes to your list, too:

Margherita Pizza
Pizza alla Puttanesca
Three-Cheese White Pizza

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4.02 from 77 votes

Classic Potato Pizza with Fresh Rosemary

Based on an Italian classic, this pizza is topped with thinly sliced potatoes, olive oil, rosemary, and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Leave off the cheese to make this a vegan pizza everyone will love!

Prep Time40 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Total Time50 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Italian, Mediterranean

Equipment

Mandoline slicer or box grater
Rolling pin (optional)
Large rimmed baking sheet or baking stone/steel
Pizza peel (optional)

Ingredients

3 cups lukewarm water
4 teaspoons kosher salt
1 to 1½ pounds small to medium-size gold potatoes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Freshly ground black pepper
½ small yellow onion, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary, plus some whole leaves for garnish
1 (14- to 16-ounce) ball pizza dough (such as 1-Hour Pizza Dough, Overnight Pizza Dough, Neapolitan Style Dough, or Sourdough Pizza Dough)
3 tablespoons finely shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (optional)

Instructions

In a large bowl, whisk together the water and salt until the salt is completely dissolved.
Use a mandoline slicer or the slicing side of a box grater to slice the potatoes paper thin. Place the sliced potatoes in the bowl of salted water and press them down so they are fully submerged. Set aside to soak for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 500°F. If you're using a baking stone/steel, place the stone/steel in the bottom third of the oven before you start preheating.
When the potatoes are done soaking, drain them in a colander and pat them dry with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel.
Place the potato slices in a large bowl. Add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the minced onion, a few grinds of black pepper, a large pinch of salt, and the chopped rosemary. Use your hands to gently toss everything together until the potatoes are evenly coated and the seasonings and onion are evenly distributed.
Stretch or roll out the pizza dough to a 12- to 14-inch round (or a 10-by-14-inch rectangle, for a classic Roman-style pizza). Transfer the dough to an oiled baking sheet or a lightly floured pizza peel (if using a baking stone/steel).
Spread the potatoes in an even layer on top of the dough, making sure the potato slices go all the way to the edges of the dough. Sprinkle with another pinch or two of salt and a grind or two of black pepper.
Transfer the pizza to the oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the bottom of the crust is evenly browned and the potatoes are tender and beginning to brown in spots.
Remove the pizza from the oven. Drizzle with olive oil, season with a pinch of salt, and scatter on the whole rosemary leaves. Finish with the finely shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, if using. Slice and serve.