Pizza is one of the rare culinary spaces that holds on to its legacy and tradition while also celebrating change and making room for innovation. Across the world, talented pizzaiolos are constantly upping their game in the realm of pizza and among them, Chef Michele Pascarellla is currently making waves with his talent in the space.
Born in Caserta in Southern Italy and based in Chiswick, London, Pascarella is the founder of the renowned 'Napoli on the Road' pizzeria. He’s achieved international acclaim and earned the title of 'Best Pizza Chef in The World,' securing the prestigious Global Pizza Maker of the Year at the World Top 50 Pizza Awards.
Acknowledged as the first 'pizzaiolo' to introduce contemporary high-crust pizza to the UK, Michele is now hailed as a "pioneer of contemporary pizza." His culinary philosophy revolves around delivering exceptional dishes using premium, seasonal ingredients.
He’s making his Indian debut on the 9th and 10th of December at JW Kitchen at the JW Marriott Goa where he’s curated a seven-course dinner that showcases the best of 'Napoli on the Road,’ where he’s excited to showcase his team’s skill and the ‘opportunity to bring the joy of pizza to a worldwide stage’.
Slurrp caught up with the internationally celebrated man behind the pizza to learn some more about what shapes his philosophy.
How did you first develop a passion for pizza?
I started working in pizza restaurants when I was only 11 years old because I needed a job. I don’t think anyone is born with a passion, I believe that you fall in love with something after you’ve been doing it for a while and you realise it’s the thing that you most like to do in life. This is how my passion for making pizza was born.
What are your thoughts on pizza chains vs. traditional artisanal pizzas?
I think that pizza has evolved from an ideologically fast food to an internationally studied dish, where the most skilled pizza chefs combine ingredients and elevate the dish into something magical. There are some chains that make excellent pizzas, but I think it is difficult to keep the quality consistently high when you have so many pizzerias to manage.
What’s the secret to a perfect pizza?
There is only one formula for making excellent pizza: staying 100% focused on work and quality. There can never truly be a favourite pizza, as making a menu for a chef is like making an album for a singer, where we mix different creations to make everything pleasant and fantastic. From my signature pizzas, probably the one I like most is the “Cheesewick” pizza, which is topped with buffalo mozzarella DOP, ricotta cheese, stracciatella di bufala, blue stilton, parmesan chip and piennolo cherry tomato jam.
Image Credits: iammichelepascarella/Instagram
How do you feel about ‘innovative’ fusion pizzas? How far is too far?
As a pizza expert, it is my job to understand when it is too much or not through testing and learning. Over the years we have seen a new freedom in different toppings and combinations on pizzas and it is important for this to happen as the category grows, but what we must continue to do is use simple and seasonal ingredients to transform traditional recipes into more modern dishes. This is what true innovation means.
What is your dream for the future in food?
Awards are the result of hard work, but the most important thing is to keep the quality high even after success and nurture a great team that believes in what it does. My dream, now that I am known in the food world, is to be able to make my idea of pizza known all over the world while always keeping quality first and foremost. I want to do more for people to bring them closer to this beautiful work
Rapid Fire Round
- Your go-to comfort food - Bread with tomatoes
- The best pizza topping - Fior di Latte
- The worst pizza topping - pineapple
- Favourite pizza you’ve eaten - Francesco Martucci at I Masanielli Caserta
- One cuisine you would love to learn more about - Indian/Japanese
- The one thing in your kitchen you can’t live without - Tomato