Frozen pizzas for real pizza people

In 2022, Una Pizza Napoletana in New York, led by chef Anthony Mangieri, tied with a restaurant in Caserta, Italy, for the title of best pizza in Italy’s 50 Top Pizza Guide. The next year, his pizza rose to the top spot in the United States. The New Jersey native is said to have introduced Neapolitan-style pizza to this country and often receives praise from food critics. Mangieri spent three years working on a new product — a line of frozen pizzas that meets his high standards. In 2023, he launched Genio Della Pizza, which is now available nationwide. The rounds are made in Northern Italy; the dough hand-stretched and allowed to rise slowly and topped with fresh ingredients — Italian tomatoes, basil from Liguria, Buffalo mozzarella, fresh herbs — and baked in wood-fired ovens and then flash frozen. It comes in four options: Margherita, Marinara, and Broccoli Rabe, all with just a thin layer of tomato sauce, and The Bianca, a white pizza and a particular standout with layers of tangy buffalo mozzarella and ricotta. “They can vary between 10 to 11 inches since it is truly an artisan product,” says Mangieri in an email. The crust is beautifully charred with a smokey and sourdough flavor, light and crispy, surpassing mass-market brands. “Like at Una, the first priority with Genio Della Pizza is the dough and crust,” says Mangieri. “That’s where the real art and skill of baking starts.” His pizza success inspired him to start the new business to share his creations. Mangieri says, “My restaurant Una Pizza Napoletana is very small, and I never want to open more than one location, so this is my opportunity to connect with people on a larger scale than I can through Una.” $11.99 to $14.99. Available at selected Whole Foods Market locations or at goldbelly.com.