Ask Italian has launched a new pizza range featuring hand-stretched pizzas designed to spill over the plate.
Brighton and Hove News was invited to try out the range at the chain’s Brighton branch in Ship Street.
Choosing from the ten new pizzas on the menu, we opted for the Truffle Funghi, Pomodoro Pesto, Pollo Coppa e Funghi and the Calzone Carne Piccante.
All came as advertised, overlapping the generous plates with a blistered crust and a pair of scissors to cut up the chewy base.
The truffle funghi was a white pizza with mushrooms, truffled marscapone and mozarella on top of a creamy carbonara base instead of the more usual tomato.
That combination could easily have veered into queasy richness, but this was light and bursting with earth umami instead.
The pesto on the Pomodoro Pesto brightened a flavourful vegan favourite, and the Pollo Coppa e Funghi with its chicken, ham and mushrooms was a solid take on a classic combo.
The Calzone Carne Piccante with its red wine ragu was rich and spicy – and with pepperoni, ham and beef, a meat lover’s feast.
After those huge portions (not to mention the cocktails and olives to start), nobody needed dessert – but that didn’t stop us ordering a Sicilian lemon tart and a caramello chocolate torta, both of which were delicious.
A couple of espresso martinis – one a classic, the other a flat white martini variation with a shot of Baileys – kept the rest of the group going.
Katy Pigg, master pizzaiolo at Ask Italian said: “There’s a real science behind the craft. 14-inches is the optimal size for a topping balance that spreads to the edges without overloading the crust.
“Everyone knows what it’s like to cut the perfect pizza where every slice is oozing cheese and the stone-baked dough is crisp and caramelised. It makes your mouth water before you even take the first bite.”
Ask Italian marketing director Jemma Townsend said: “The UK pizza scene has seen a big shift towards gourmet and artisanal styles. It’s about superior recipes and a social vibe that comes with enjoying generous pizzas that you cut with scissors – the proper way.”
