Pizza night is easy, and that is the problem. The same boxes, the same order, the same leftovers. After a while it stops feeling like dinner and starts feeling like a habit.
There is an easy fix. Order the way people eat in Italy, in small courses. A good Neapolitan pizzeria usually makes far more than pizza. Use the rest of the menu, and pizza night turns into a real meal.
Start With a Salad
In Italy, pizza rarely shows up alone. A salad in the middle of the table gives everyone something fresh while the pies finish.
Look for salads built around one good ingredient. Burrata, a soft cheese with a creamy center, is a favorite. Paired with beets, walnuts, and greens, it turns a side salad into something people fight over.
Dress it lightly with good olive oil and a pinch of salt. Put it out first, before anything else is opened. Hungry kids will eat greens when nothing else is on the table yet.
Add One Starter to Share
One starter is plenty. Pick something you would never make at home, so it feels like a treat.
- Fried zucchini blossoms stuffed with mozzarella
- Arancini, crispy rice balls with a savory center
- A small board of cured meats and cheese
Keep it to one plate. The goal is to wake up the table, not to fill everyone up before the pizza lands.
Mix Red and White Pies
Neapolitan menus usually split pizzas into two groups. Red pies start with tomato sauce. White pies skip the sauce and start with cheese.
Order at least one of each. Kids tend to stick with red, and that is fine. Adults often find their new favorite on the white side of the menu. Cut everything into slices and let people try both.
A Neapolitan Kitchen a Short Drive From Oradell
For Oradell families, one option for this kind of dinner is a short drive past New Milford in downtown Bergenfield. Culto Italiano’s Bergenfield pizzeria is a family-run Neapolitan kitchen at 49 W Church St.
The pies bake in a wood-fired oven with San Marzano tomato sauce and fiordilatte di Napoli. The rest of the menu is where this plan comes together. It includes a burrata and beet salad, fried zucchini blossoms, fresh pasta, a sandwich called the panuozzo, and Italian pastry.
Chef Corrado was born in Naples and learned to cook in his family’s pizzeria. Reviewers often call out the handmade pasta, not just the pizza.
Put Fresh Pasta on the Table
A shared bowl of pasta makes pizza night feel like a Sunday dinner. It also covers the family member who is not in the mood for pizza.
Handmade potato gnocchi in tomato sauce is a safe pick for kids. For the adults, look for something richer, like pasta with porcini mushrooms and truffle. Order one bowl for every three or four people and pass it around.
Give Kids Something to Hold
Younger kids often do better with food they can pick up. Two good options show up on a lot of Neapolitan menus.
- A panuozzo, a sandwich made on pizza dough and baked in the oven
- A calzone, folded and baked or fried, with ricotta and mozzarella inside
Cut either one into strips, and it disappears fast.
Keep the Night Balanced
Courses help with balance, too. When a salad and a shared pasta are on the table, nobody needs four slices of pizza to feel full.
The USDA’s MyPlate program has a short tip sheet on healthy eating for families. It suggests offering a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, protein foods, and dairy. A salad, a pizza, and fruit for dessert covers a lot of that without anyone feeling like they are on a diet.
Finish With Something Sweet
End with an Italian pastry instead of ice cream from the freezer. The sfogliatella riccia is a Naples classic. It is a shell-shaped pastry with crisp, flaky layers and a sweet ricotta filling. Split a few across the table with coffee for the adults.
Time the Courses
Takeout arrives all at once, so you have to create the courses yourself. Put the salad and starter out first while the pizza stays in its box on the counter. Bring out the pasta and pizza together a few minutes later, and save dessert for after the table is cleared.
It only takes a few extra minutes, and it changes how the whole night feels.
Make It a Monthly Tradition
Not every pizza night needs courses. Once a month is enough to make it feel special. Let a different family member pick the starter or the pasta each time, and keep a list of favorites.
Plan Your Next Dinner Night
To order ahead, call Culto Italiano at (201) 648-0111. Tell them how many people you are feeding, and they can help you build the order.