The “Legendary” Frozen Pizza I Rely on for a Last-Minute Dinner

Lizzy Briskin
·3 min read
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Knife slicing into focaccia pizza.
Credit: Photo: Ghazalle Badiozamani | Food Stylist Jesse Szewczyk Credit: Photo: Ghazalle Badiozamani | Food Stylist Jesse Szewczyk

Anthony Mangieri started making pizzas at the age of 19 and has been running acclaimed pizza spots around the country for the past 30 years. These days, he’s the chef and owner of Una Pizza Napoletana in New York City, which earned the #1 spot on the list of 50 Top Pizzas in 2022 (it’s #2 on the 2023 list). Although you might not think it’s possible to translate Mangieri’s signature ethereal, puffy crust and spot-on ratio of cheese to sauce from his wood-fired restaurant kitchen to the freezer section, you’d be wrong.

Genio Della Pizzas, which are available at select retailers across the country or for delivery nationwide on Goldbelly, are not just great frozen pizzas — they’re great pizzas, period. These pies will change what you think you know about frozen pizza (and you won’t have to leave home for restaurant-quality ’za again).

Genio frozen pizza in box.
Credit: Lizzy Briskin Credit: Lizzy Briskin

What’s So Great About Genio Della Pizza Margherita Pizza?

Mangieri’s astute attention to ingredients and the manufacturing process sets these pizzas apart from your typical freezer-aisle finds. First, each ingredient list on his four pizza varieties — Margherita (my personal favorite), Marinara, Bianca, and Broccoli Rabe — is short and sweet. These pies aren’t loaded up with preservatives or “natural” flavorings. As in his restaurant, Mangieri sources many ingredients for his frozen line from Italy, including the tomatoes, olive oil, and cheeses.

You can taste the high-quality ingredients in a slice of Genio Della. The tomatoes are umami-rich and sweet, the mozzarella is creamy and luscious, and the Pecorino Romano is sharp and wonderfully salty.

But the thing that Genio Della Pizzas gets so right (and is arguably the hardest to achieve in a frozen pie) is the crust texture. The pizza crust is soft and stretchy in the center and pillowy and ethereal around the edges, and you can get it extra-crispy, if that’s your thing, with a few extra minutes in the oven. These pizzas don’t just look like they came fresh out of a red-hot Neapolitan pizza dome — they feel and taste like it, too.

Freshly baked pizza on plate with slice out.
Credit: Lizzy Briskin Credit: Lizzy Briskin

What’s the Best Way to Serve Genio Della Pizza Margherita Pizza?

All you need to do to make a Genia Della Pizza shine is to cook it according to the box instructions. After less than 10 minutes in a 450°F oven, your pie will be golden, crispy, and topped with bubbling cheese ready for a viral video-worthy cheese pull.

As a rule follower (when it comes to pizza, at least), I always take the final step Chef Mangieri recommends and drizzle my pie with extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of flaky salt while it’s hot. If I’m enjoying the broccoli rabe pizza, I also like to add a sprinkle of hot pepper flakes and maybe some extra fresh basil, if I’m feeling fancy and happen to have some on hand.

When I’m ready to dig in, I skip the cutting board and pizza wheel and cut my slices precisely with kitchen shears.

Buy: Genio Della Pizza Margherita Pizza, $9.99 for 13.8 ounces at Instacart

This post originally appeared on The Kitchn. See it there: The “Legendary” Frozen Pizza I Always Rely on for a Last-Minute Dinner