Six great Canadian pizzas from the Canadian Pizza Summit

Allow us to hark back to a happier time and place when there was more pizza-making talent on hand than has a right to exist in one kitchen. That time was last October. That place was the Canadian Pizza Summit and Chef of the Year Competition in Toronto.

Here we bring you six pizzas from independent Canadian pizzerias that feature mouthwatering flavour combinations to stir your senses and spark your own creativity.

A Forager’s Delight

By Aaron Gehrman, Emilio Finatti Pizzeria, Langley, B.C.

Crushed tomato sauce, baked with cheese, smoked bacon, marinated mushroom medley.

A Forager’s Delight by Aaron Gehrman

Bel Villaggio by Sunny Singh

Jalapizza by Josh Paone

Philly ’za by Wayne de Groot

Pizza del Sole by Jeremy Paone

Salame Piccante Pizza by Raj Sivasothy

Bel Villaggio (translates to ‘Beautiful Village’) *Third place, Open division

By Sunny Singh, Lina’s Italian Market, Calgary, Alta.

Crisp saffron pizza crust, salamino picante, Italian tomato sauce, smokie würstel, scratch sausage, smoked speck, grana padano, arugula, DOP balsamic vinegar.

Jalapizza

By Josh Paone, The Lock Wood Fired Pizza, Port Colborne, Ont.

Jalapeno base, chicken, bacon, cherry tomatoes, shredded and fresh mozzarella and jalapeno cream cheese dollops.

Pizza del Sole

By Jeremy Paone, The Lock Wood Fired Pizza, Port Colborne, Ont.

Homemade dough, fresh basil leaves, mozzarella and provolone blend and a chunky red sauce on top of the cheese, homemade tapenade featuring kalamata olives. A pinch of chili flakes on top.

Philly ’za

By Wayne de Groot, Zen’Za Pizzeria, London, Ont.

The vegan version of Zen’Za’s popular Philly ’za. Red sauce base with light vegan mozzarella, Caramelized onions, roasted red peppers with garlicky cherry tomatoes. Provolone on top along with a freshly cut red onion and the pizzeria’s Philly sauce and a swirl of garlic white sauce.

Salame Piccante Pizza

By Raj Sivasothy, The Good Son, Toronto, Ont.

This pizza brings the heat with its piquant and spicy flavours that burst through with each bite. Tomato sauce, buffalo cheese, olives and salami.