Okay, we get it: pizza is a pretty beloved staple of the culinary scene in just about any town. However, even if you live somewhere else, you've got to admit, it's a particularly important dish in New Haven, CT. In fact, Connecticut-style pizza's so special that it's even got its own name: apizza. This thin-crust, coal-fired Neapolitan pizza was first served at the iconic Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana in the 1960s, but you can now find it all over the state. A "plain" apizza is served up without mozzarella cheese, but many aficionados choose to add melted cheese on as a topping. You can also get traditional pizza toppings like pepperoni or tomatoes added. However, there's one distinctly Connecticut topping that might sound a bit weird on a pizza if you're not from New England: clams.
Frank Pepe is one of the best-known names in pizza. The pies here have been hand-crafted for over 100 years, and it's no surprise that it's been named among the best pizzas in the country.
It was at Frank Pepe's that the white clam pizza pie was created.
The pizza is topped with fresh clams, olive oil, garlic, oregano, and Romano cheese.
If you're a pizza purist, the idea of clams on top sounds a little wacky. Seafood is meant for pasta dishes and to be enjoyed on a wet bar!
However, the dish really took off. You can now find white clam apizza at many New Haven-area pizzerias, including the equally-beloved Sally's Apizza and Modern Apizza.
Those who love the dish say it adds a salty sweetness that's the perfect complement to the charred flavor of the apizza's crust.
So how about it? Are you a fan of clams on pizza, or do you prefer these mollusks in seafood dishes? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Eating clam pizza isn't the only way to show off your Connecticut pride. Check out the great Nutmeg State apparel available at Wear Your Roots.
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