What is scachatta? - Slice Pizza Blog (2024)

Here at The Sauce, we’ve got a lot of love for cold or room temperature pizza, and that’s not because we’re too lazy to reheat it. Okay, well, sometimes we skip the stove out of convenience, but today’s cold pizza can be just as tasty as last night’s fresh pie. College frosh aren’t always known for their taste, but we like their style when it comes to breakfast. If you’re enjoying a cold slice in bed next to your Bob Marley poster, you’re doing something right.

If you’re into not-hot pizza as much as we are, you’ll want to get familiar with scachatta, Tampa’s signature room temperature pizza with a Cuban twist. Let’s dig in.

What is scachatta?

What is scachatta? - Slice Pizza Blog (1)

Scachatta is a pizza – or, perhaps, a pizzaesque delicacy – most commonly found in and around Tampa, Florida. It’s made with a thick, soft, and certifiably addictive egg dough and topped off with a beef-laden tomato sauce and sprinkled with grated cheese.

Scachatta is awfully similar to sfincione, a southern Italian variation of pizza with a base reminiscent of focaccia and no more than a gentle sprinkling of cheese (Sometimes, there’s no cheese at all.) And, if you contrasted scachatta with Philadelphia’s beloved tomato pie, the middle part of the Venn diagram would be a whopper. However, they all come to a fork on the table thanks to scachatta’s yolked-dough and meat-anchored sauce.

In Tampa, you can order your scachatta to-go and heat it up at home if you want, but why would you mess with perfection? Room temp is how they serve tomato pies in Philly; ditto for Italy and sfincione during the warmer months. When you’re in Tampa, do as the Tampanians and eat your scachatta at ~70°F.

Where did scachatta come from?

What is scachatta? - Slice Pizza Blog (2)

The exact history of scachatta has gotten lost in the sauce, to an extent. No one knows who baked or sold the first scachatta, but some of its early purveyors are still dishing out slices of it to this day. That includes Alessi, Angelito’s, and La Segunda Bakery, an Ybor City mainstay since 1915.

Do pizzerias sell scachatta?

For the most part, scachatta is served at bakeries in and around Tampa, Florida. These old-school shops – some Italian, some Cuban, and some a blend of both – offer savory dishes of all sorts to go with their sweets.

How is scachatta made?

Scachatta all starts with an egg-based dough, which makes it an oddity in the pizza world, but a natural fit for bakeries. After that, the order of operations is pretty simple – the not-quite-bolognese sauce is ladled on, followed by the finishing touch of a grated cheese like parmesan. Again, there’s only a little bit of cheese; a light dusting a la Salt Bae, but with a little less pomp.

Wait, isn’t there an Italian dish called scachatta? Is that the same thing?

Yes and no, respectively.

Italian scachatta or sciachiatta is a Sicilian meat pie filled with ground pork or Italian sausage, served sauceless and often cheeseless. Italian sciachiatta is different from the scachatta you’ll find in Florida and it’s not quite a pizza, but it’s also pretty darn tasty. Order sciachiatta if you’re lucky enough to stumble across it, just know that it’s not the same as Tampa’s.

Can I get something like scachatta near me?

What is scachatta? - Slice Pizza Blog (3)

Yes! Close cousins of scachatta can be found at mom & pop shops all across the United States. If you’re not in Tampa, try:

Sfincione: Thick dough, well-seasoned sauce, light on cheese, and pretty darn close to scachatta. If you’re in New York, you can order world-class sfincione from pizzerias like Salvatore’s of Elmont, Bklyn Pizza, and Papa Sal’s.

Philly Tomato Pie: The Philly Tomato Pie is also a lot like scachatta, just without eggs in the dough, or meat in the sauce, which is on the smoother side. Scachatta isn’t exactly the same as PTP, but that’s NBDbecause it’s equally delicious.

Sicilian: With ample cheese and a crunchier crust, Sicilian pizza is much further removed from scachatta, but it’s still square-shaped and spectacular. It’s also available at lots of local shops, especially in the Northeast.

Detroit-style pizza: It’s got a crunchy fried exterior, but the inside of the right-angled crust is soft and buttery. We like to pile our Detroit-style pizza high with pepperoni and lots of cheese, but you can sort of replicate scachatta by ordering yours with a ground meat topping and grated romano.

Getting hungry? Good! Get your go-to pizza on the Slice app.

Frank Pinello and his fans refuse to let the Best Pizza team down
What is scachatta? - Slice Pizza Blog (2024)

FAQs

What is scachatta? - Slice Pizza Blog? ›

Italian scachatta or sciachiatta is a Sicilian meat pie filled with ground pork or Italian sausage, served sauceless and often cheeseless.

Does scachatta have meat? ›

Not quite a pizza or a calzone, Sciachiatta (also spelled Scachatta or Scacciata) is basically a savory Italian meat pie made with a homemade pizza dough and filled with seasoned meat (like ground pork) or Italian greens like rapini or escarole.

Where did pizza by the slice originate? ›

Pizza al taglio is an Italian pizza variety of rectangular pizza that is sold by the slice, typically by weight. The dish originated in Rome, Italy, and is common there, as well as being sold elsewhere around the world.

Should pizza rest before cutting? ›

Tips for Getting a Good Slice

It's best to cut the pizza as soon as it comes out of the oven, so it doesn't toughen up as it cools down. You should let the pizza sit for only a few seconds and then proceed to cut it with a pizza cutter. If you're using a chef's knife, however, you should wait a little bit.

What is the meat on pizza called? ›

The list of the most popular meat toppings for pizza usually includes pepperoni, Italian sausage, Canadian bacon, ham, chicken, bacon, and ground beef. Of course that is far from the complete list of what is available. Regional specialties can include options such as bison, ostrich, and a variety of seafood as well.

What kind of meat is pepperoni made out of? ›

Pepperoni is essentially an American version of salami, something close to what Italians might call salame piccante, a generic term that means “spicy salami.” It's made from beef and cured pork mixed together and then seasoned with a blend that usually includes paprika, garlic, black pepper, crushed red pepper, cayenne ...

Why is pizza not sliced in Italy? ›

However, in Italy, and by extension restaurants that maintain the same attitude, the pizza is served whole for a much more appealing look. In addition to this, the pizza pie doesn't cool off as quickly.

What do Americans call a slice of pizza? ›

"Why is pizza called pie?" It's a question that may have been on your mind. The term originated in Italy and is often used to describe a large slice of Italian pizza. While many Americans have never heard the term, it is used widely in the Northeastern United States.

What is the oldest pizza place? ›

In 1830, Antica Pizzeria Port'Alba was opened in Naples. Most historians consider this to be the world's first pizzeria. It became a meeting place for artists, students or others with little money so, in most cases, the pizza was simple.

Does traditional Italian pizza have meat? ›

Additionally, Italian pizza has fewer topping varieties than its American cousins. Moreover, Italian pizza usually doesn't have meat, whereas American pizza can have any type. Italian chefs never top their pizzas with pre-grated cheese. They use fresh mozzarella di Bufala.

Does Sicilian pizza have meat? ›

The original, authentic version from Sicily comes from Palermo and is called sfincione, which loosely translates as "thick sponge." Sicilian pizza has a fluffy, spongy bread base topped with a meatless sauce made from tomatoes, onions, herbs, and anchovies, which is covered with breadcrumbs and an optional grating of ...

Does pizza sauce have meat in it? ›

Q. Is there meat in your pizza sauce? A. Pizza sauce and marinara sauce contain no beef or other meat products…

Do they put meat on pizza in Italy? ›

Traditionally in Italy, you would usually see only see two types of salami used to top a pizza; the Milano and Napoli. Both are used interchangeably (with a sprinkling of chopped red chillies) on the Diavola (the Italian word for devi)l, a staple on menus in traditional pizzerias.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Carmelo Roob

Last Updated:

Views: 5686

Rating: 4.4 / 5 (65 voted)

Reviews: 88% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Carmelo Roob

Birthday: 1995-01-09

Address: Apt. 915 481 Sipes Cliff, New Gonzalobury, CO 80176

Phone: +6773780339780

Job: Sales Executive

Hobby: Gaming, Jogging, Rugby, Video gaming, Handball, Ice skating, Web surfing

Introduction: My name is Carmelo Roob, I am a modern, handsome, delightful, comfortable, attractive, vast, good person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.