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Savory, satisfying naan pizza is ready in 15 minutes (with only five minutes of prep). It’s equally at home as a weeknight dinner or a game day/party appetizer. Don’t miss it.
Why we love this recipe
As a proud Italian American, I used to feel the need to make excuses for naan pizza. I’m well past that point these days, and very happy to think of this dish as a fortuitous mashup of fabulous ingredients from two wonderful food cultures. It may not be pizza per se, but it’s a mighty delicious, savory and satisfying flatbread, and I’ll take it.
This best-in-class version has it all:
- A flavorful garlic naan base that’s brushed with fruity olive oil and crisped up directly on the oven rack
- The perfect pizza sauce that’s flavorful and just the right consistency
- A combination of silky fresh mozzarella and super-savory parmesan or pecorino
- Pops of color and freshness from torn basil leaves
- Tons of flexibility — see the section below for topping suggestions
What you’ll need
Here’s a glance at the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe.
- Garlic naan makes an easy, flavorful base for these fabulous flatbreads. Brushing them with olive oil and baking them directly on the oven rack crisps them up beautifully on the outside, leaving them tender on the inside. You can use a different flavor of naan or another type of tender but sturdy flatbread if you prefer.
- A combination of good jarred marinara sauce and a little bit of tomato paste creates a rich, flavorful pizza sauce that’s just the right consistency. As jarred marinara sauces go, I really only ever use the Brooklyn Italian Marinara from Jersey Italian Gravy, or Rao’s, if the former isn’t available. You can use your favorite.
- Fresh mozzarella has a beautiful texture and flavor, and it elevates this dish just a bit. You can substitute shredded low-moisture mozzarella if you prefer.
- Choose a good-quality, freshly grated parmesan cheese. It adds a ton of nuanced savoriness. If it’s important to you that this dish be vegetarian, be sure to use a parmesan made without animal rennet. Pecorino makes a great choice too, if you prefer.
- Torn fresh basil leaves add bursts of freshness and flavor.
How to make it
Here’s an overview of what you’ll do to make a crowd-pleasing batch of naan pizza. You can see all the steps in action in the video that accompanies this post, and get the details in the recipe card below.
- Brush the naan with the olive oil.
- Stir together marinara sauce and tomato paste to make a thicker, more flavorful sauce, and spread it onto the naan.
- Top with the mozzarella and sprinkle on some parmesan and pepper. Bake directly on the oven rack for about 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle with more parmesan and the basil, then cut and serve. That’s it!
Suggested toppings
This recipe is kinda perfect the way it is, if I do say so. But if you’d like to add toppings, consider these:
Before baking
- Sliced bell peppers
- Thinly sliced onions
- Sliced mushrooms
- Sopressata or pepperoni
- Blanched broccoli
After baking
- Shiitake bacon
- Crumbled bacon
- Prosciutto
- Arugula tossed with a little olive oil, sea salt, and balsamic vinegar or lemon juice
- Balsamic glaze
- Red pepper flakes
Expert tips and FAQs
Most of the time, I’m a more-is-more fan where food is concerned. But with pizza toppings, the game changes a bit. You’ll need to be reasonably frugal, but not stingy. Too much sauce and fresh mozzarella can get soggy and messy, but too little is no fun.
I’ve offered the best guidance I can with the quantities in the recipe card, but since naan varies in size by brand, you’ll have to use your judgment. Smaller varieties may not need the entire quantity listed.
No pan. Bake the pizzas directly on the oven rack. This move not only saves on dishwashing, it crisps up the naan to golden brown perfection while the toppings cook.
I’ve never really had problems with overflow onto the oven, but if you’re worried about it, you can place a baking sheet on a different rack below the pizzas to catch any drips.
Naan pizza is so quick and easy to make, and it’s best straight out of the oven. I don’t recommend making it in advance. Leftovers can be wrapped in foil or a zip-top bag and kept in the fridge for up to a week. Reheat and re-crisp in the oven or toaster oven.
More favorite pizzas and flatbreads
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Naan Pizza
Ingredients
- 4 garlic naan
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
- 1 cup (237 ml) marinara sauce
- ¼ cup (66 grams) tomato paste
- ½ pound (227 grams) fresh mozzarella, sliced
- ½ cup (60 grams) grated parmesan
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 12 medium-sized fresh basil leaves, torn
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F with a rack in the center.
- Brush olive oil over the surface of the naan.
- In a small bowl, stir together the marinara sauce and tomato paste. Spread sauce over naan.
- Divide mozzarella slices among naan, leaving a little bit of space between pieces.
- Sprinkle with about 2/3 of the parmesan and plenty of freshly ground black pepper.
- Place pizzas directly on oven rack and bake for 10 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining parmesan and the basil.
- Serve immediately, cut into slices of whatever size and shape you like.
Notes
- Garlic naan makes an easy, flavorful base for these fabulous flatbreads. Brushing them with olive oil and baking them directly on the oven rack crisps them up beautifully on the outside, leaving them tender on the inside. You can use a different flavor of naan or another type of tender but sturdy flatbread if you prefer.
- A note on topping quantity: Most of the time, I'm a more-is-more fan where food is concerned. But with pizza toppings, the game changes a bit. You'll need to be reasonably frugal, but not stingy. Too much sauce and fresh mozzarella can get soggy and messy, but too little is no fun. I've offered the best guidance I can with the quantities, but since naan varies in size by brand, you'll have to use your judgment. Smaller varieties may not need the entire quantity listed.
- A combination of good-quality marinara sauce and a little bit of tomato paste creates a rich, flavorful pizza sauce that's just the right consistency. As jarred marinara sauces go, I really only ever use the Brooklyn Italian Marinara from Jersey Italian Gravy, or Rao's, if the former isn't available. You can use your favorite.
- Fresh mozzarella has a beautiful texture and flavor, and it elevates this dish just a bit. You can substitute shredded low-moisture mozzarella if you prefer.
- Choose a good-quality, freshly grated parmesan cheese. It adds a ton of nuanced savoriness. If it's important to you that this dish be vegetarian, be sure to use a parmesan made without animal rennet. Pecorino makes a great choice too, if you prefer.
- Torn fresh basil leaves add bursts of freshness and flavor.
- Naan pizza is so quick and easy to make, and it's best straight out of the oven. I don't recommend making it in advance. Leftovers can be wrapped in foil or a zip-top bag and kept in the fridge for up to a week. Reheat and re-crisp in the oven or toaster oven.
Toppings to add before baking
- Sliced bell peppers
- Thinly sliced onions
- Sliced mushrooms
- Sopressata or pepperoni
- Blanched broccoli
Toppings to add after baking
- Shiitake bacon
- Crumbled bacon
- Prosciutto
- Arugula tossed with a little olive oil, sea salt, and balsamic vinegar or lemon juice
- Balsamic glaze
- Red pepper flakes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
