Margherita pizza made with Bufala Mozzarella

While regular mozzarella is made with cow’s milk, Bufala or Buffalo, Mozzarella (not to be confused with the spiciness of buffalo wings) is made with milk from Italian water buffalo.  What’s the difference?  The taste (aka the magic).  The milk from water buffalo is creamier, and while not very good for having with a bowl of cereal, it’s perfect for making one of Italy’s most desired cheeses.  Bufala Mozzarella is so valued, the “Mozzarella di Bufala Campana” Association monitors production quality and location, making sure producers comply with the government declared DOC (Designation of Origin) status Bufala Mozzarella was given in 1993.

 That said, it’s no surprise that Pizza Napoletana and Bufala Mozzarella are a match made in heaven (or in this case, Italy).  “When you take it out of the oven,” says Mangieri “the pizza looks like it has some life.  It’s shiny and glistening.”  Bufala Mozzarella melts differently on the pizza, and in turn adds a delicious, truly Italian taste to the Pizza Napoletana experience.  There are people around the world, including a few in the US, that are trying to produce Bufala Mozzarella.  But staying true to form, Undici imports all their Bufala Mozzarella from Italy to ensure that it has the magic they’re looking for; they wouldn’t dream of using any ingredients short of magical in making their Pizza Napoletana, “The Best Pizza in New Jersey.”

Tony Mangieri Comes to Undici

Special types of wood are used throughout the cooking process to make true Pizza Napoletana

Some might say that Undici Italian Restaurant in Rumson ‘wood’ go to any length to make the state’s best Napoletana Pizza.

The famed Italian pizza maker spent the better part of the last few months updating their kitchen to create an authentic, Naples style, wood fired oven.

The new oven is part of Pizza Guru’s Anthony Mangieri’s recipe for the perfect Pizza Napoletana.

Undici’s owner, Victor Rallo, envisioned making the state’s best, authentic Pizza Napoletana.  To help make that dream a reality, he hired Anthony Mangieri as his exclusive pizza consultant.

Pizza Napoletana is extremely rare in NJ, and in most states in the US.  The authentic Naples style pizza calls for a demanding recipe and difficult cooking process.   For starters, only a wood fired stove, using very particular types of wood at different phases of the cooking process can be used.

Additionally, all ingredients are imported direct from Italy, including dough made from all Italian ‘00’ flour, San Marzano tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, and bufala mozzarella.  The special mozzarella is made with the milk from water buffalo raised in the marshlands of Campania and Lazio.

According to Victor Rallo, owner of Undici, the art of crafting authentic Pizza Napoletana is so delicate, he wanted the expert guidance of legendary pizza guru, Anthony Mangieri.

Mangieri is the culinary master behind New York City’s famous Una Pizza Napoletana, which closed its doors earlier this year after five phenomenal years in business and will reopen in San Francisco early next year.  He has since become world famous for his unrelenting passion for hand crafted pizza, and as one of the best pizza makers in the country.

My Experience

I took my office to taste all their pies and they are wonderful.  My favorite was the arugula and prosciutto pie and the garlic pie.

To see more photos of Anthony Mangieri in action, visit Anthony’s Flickr Photo gallery.

Come out to Undici for New Jersey’s Best Pizza.

Undici Restaurant

11 West River Road

Rumson NJ 07760

732-842-3880

http://www.undicirestaurant.com