The Margherita pizza is said to be named after Queen Margherita of Savoy, who visited Naples in 1889. Historians still argue over how much of that famous story actually happened.
Tomatoes took a while to win Europe over after arriving from the Americas. Early Neapolitan flatbreads often leaned on lard, garlic and herbs instead.
Now a pizza can sit in your freezer for weeks, waiting for a lazy Tuesday. I love that it only needs a few minutes of attention to become something better.
The box gives you a base, a sauce and some cheese, and that's a decent start. So what could your fridge and cupboard add before the oven timer goes off?
1. Nduja and Hot Honey
A spreadable Calabrian pork sausage might be the most exciting thing in your fridge door. Nduja is soft, fiery and packed with chilli, so it melts into little red pools in the oven.
Pinch off small blobs, about the size of a hazelnut, and dot them across the pizza before baking. As it heats, the spicy fat seeps into the cheese and paints it orange.
Once the pizza comes out, drizzle over some hot honey. You can buy it ready-made, or gently warm runny honey with a pinch of dried chilli flakes for a few minutes.
The sweetness calms the heat just enough to make you reach for another slice. Go easy on the nduja at first, because a little goes a surprisingly long way.
Warm honey can also be hotter than it looks, so let it cool slightly before you taste-test from the spoon. Your plain pepperoni will feel rather shy afterwards.
2. Fried Egg
Breakfast and tea collide here, and nobody is complaining. A runny yolk spreads over hot cheese like a ready-made sauce.
You have two routes. Crack an egg into a gap in the toppings for roughly the last six to eight minutes of baking.
Or fry one in a frying pan and slide it on top as the pizza leaves the oven.
The frying pan method gives you crisp, lacy edges and more control over the yolk. Baking it on the pizza is easier, but ovens vary, so keep an eye on it.
Make sure the white is fully set before you eat. If you're serving anyone pregnant, elderly or very young, choose British Lion eggs, or cook the yolk firmer to be safe.
A pinch of black pepper and a few chilli flakes finish it off. Cut through the centre and dunk the crust straight into that golden middle.
3. Prosciutto and Rocket
Italian pizzerias have been pulling this trick for years, and it needs zero cooking skill. Two ingredients make a supermarket Margherita look like it came from a restaurant.
Bake your pizza as normal until the base is crisp. Then drape thin slices of prosciutto over the top while it's still piping hot.
The heat softens the ham and brings out its savoury smell without turning it into crisps. Adding it before baking would dry it out, so patience pays off here.
Next, pile on a big handful of rocket. The peppery leaves wilt slightly at the edges and cut through the salty, rich ham and cheese.
A few shavings of Parmesan and a thin drizzle of olive oil make a smart finish. It looks impressive enough for friends, yet takes about thirty seconds once the oven pings.
Nobody needs to know where the base came from.
4. Goat's Cheese and Honey
Tangy, creamy and a little bit sticky, this pairing already lives on many British starter menus. Putting it on pizza simply makes sense.
Choose a soft goat's cheese log, the kind with a white rind. Crumble chunks over the pizza for the last five minutes of baking, so it softens without fully melting.
That gives you creamy pockets rather than a flat layer. Each bite brings a sharp, earthy hit against the milder mozzarella underneath.
Once out of the oven, add a thin drizzle of runny honey. The sweetness rounds off the tang and makes the cheese taste even richer.
Fresh thyme leaves or a handful of walnuts make good extras, though skip the nuts if anyone has an allergy. Caramelised red onion from a jar works brilliantly too.
A plain cheese pizza works best as your starting point here.
5. Pesto Swirl
A jar of green pesto is basically a whole herb garden squashed into a tiny pot. It's packed with basil, garlic, cheese, pine nuts and olive oil.
The secret is timing. Add the pesto after baking, because oven heat dulls that bright basil flavour and turns it a murky colour.
Dollop small spoonfuls onto the hot pizza. Then swirl them gently through the melted cheese with the back of a spoon.
For crunch, toast a handful of pine nuts in a dry frying pan over a medium heat. Shake the pan often, since they go from golden to burnt in moments.
Scatter them over the top for a buttery bite. Pesto usually contains nuts and milk, so check the label if you're feeding guests with allergies.
Red pesto works too, adding a deeper, sweeter tomato note instead.
6. Garlic and Chilli Oil
Pizzerias often keep a bottle of chilli oil on the table for good reason. Making your own at home takes about five minutes and smells wonderful.
Pour around 60ml of olive oil into a small saucepan. Add two thinly sliced garlic cloves and a good pinch of dried chilli flakes.
Keep the heat low and let the garlic turn pale gold, not brown. Burnt garlic tastes bitter, so take the pan off the hob as soon as it smells toasty.
Spoon the oil and crispy slices over your freshly baked pizza. The crust edges soak it up, so nothing gets wasted.
Hot oil can burn badly, so keep children well back and never leave the pan alone. Use it straight away rather than storing it, because homemade garlic oil kept at room temperature carries a food safety risk.
Fresh is better anyway.
7. Anchovies, Capers and Lemon Zest
Salty little fish divide opinion like nothing else on a pizza menu. Give them a chance, though, because they bring huge savoury depth.
Tear a few anchovy fillets from a tin or jar and scatter them over the pizza before baking. In the oven, they soften and partly melt into the sauce.
Add a teaspoon of rinsed capers at the same time. Their sharp, briny pop works nicely with the deep saltiness of the fish.
When the pizza comes out, grate over some fresh lemon zest. That bright citrus lift stops everything feeling too heavy or salty.
Wash the lemon first and avoid the bitter white pith underneath the peel. Black olives or a pinch of dried oregano fit right in, echoing the classic Neapolitan pizza known as Napoletana.
Easy on extra salt, because these toppings bring plenty already.
8. Roasted Peppers and Olives
Some of the best pizza toppings are already sitting at the back of your cupboard. Jarred roasted red peppers are soft, sweet and slightly smoky, with the hard work done for you.
Drain them well and pat them dry with kitchen paper. Wet toppings make a soggy pizza, and nobody wants that floppy middle slice.
Chop the peppers into strips and scatter them over before baking. Add a handful of pitted Kalamata olives, halved, for a salty, fruity contrast.
Finish with a pinch of dried oregano before the pizza goes in. Dried oregano holds up well in the oven and gives a familiar pizzeria smell.
A few crumbles of feta work nicely too, keeping the Greek-style mood going. Check olives for stones, even when the jar says pitted.
Cupboard cooking rarely feels this satisfying.
9. Fresh Mozzarella and Basil
Grated mozzarella in a shop pizza is usually the drier, low-moisture kind. A ball of fresh mozzarella brings softer, milkier pools instead.
Drain it, pat it dry and tear it into rough chunks. Dotting it over the pizza before baking gives you creamy patches between the existing cheese.
Fresh mozzarella holds lots of water, so drying it properly really matters. Leave it on kitchen paper for ten minutes if you have time.
After baking, tear over fresh basil leaves. Tearing instead of chopping helps stop the edges going dark.
Halved cherry tomatoes add juicy, sweet bursts if you scatter them on at the end. A thread of good olive oil brings it all together.
Suddenly that budget Margherita looks far closer to Naples than to the frozen aisle.
10. Crème Fraîche and Chives
Cool cream on a hot pizza sounds odd until you remember jacket potatoes with soured cream. The same contrast works brilliantly here.
Wait until the pizza comes out of the oven. Spoon small dollops of crème fraîche across it and swirl them gently.
The cream softens slightly in the heat without splitting. Its tang balances richer toppings, especially spicy ones like pepperoni or jalapeños.
Snip fresh chives straight over the top with kitchen scissors. They give a mild onion flavour that feels fresh rather than harsh.
Smoked salmon makes a smart addition if you fancy something brunch-like. A squeeze of lemon and a crack of black pepper finish it neatly.
Serve it straight away, while the contrast between hot and cool still hits, and watch that frozen box earn a proper standing ovation.
