Pizza al padellino: what It is and where to eat the best in Turin

Turin also has its rooted tradition of pizza, and it's the "tegamino" (or frying pan). Widely known – and practiced – throughout Italy, the round "tegamino" has always been the specialty of the Piedmontese capital. Often served in local eateries in tandem with "farinata," in terms of cooking style, it's contrasted with the "mattone," which is naked, cooked directly on the oven base.

What is Pizza al padellino/ frying pan pizza?

The peculiarity of this style of pizza is that it's cooked in a small iron or aluminum pan. There's even a pizzaiolo stationed in Alessandria, Giuseppe Giordano, who patented his technique, calling it Pizz'ino® (also the name of his establishment). He combined the two cooking systems, frying pan and "mattone," with a cooking circle, essentially a bottomless pan. Frying pan pizza has a crispy base but a soft, airy surface that holds up well with toppings. After decades of obscurity due to the arrival of "exotic" pizza styles in city restaurants, the cult of frying pan pizza is being rediscovered in Turin in recent years. Signs dedicated to it are multiplying, just as more and more pizzaiolos across Italy experiment with their dough using this versatile cooking style.

Where to eat the best frying pan pizza in Turin

For tradition lovers, here are the addresses in Turin from the Pizzerie d'Italia 2023 guide by Gambero Rosso to taste a good, original version of frying pan pizza.

Cecchi

A concentration of Piedmontese tradition: Cecchi is the realm of frying pan pizza, a Turin institution, and farinata (legendary here). It's also an artisanal gelateria (the cone was born in Turin) and serves Menabrea beer from Biella, the oldest still-active brewery. Must-orders include a cone of freshly baked farinata (an ideal street food) and frying pan pizza, small and somewhat tall, crispy at the edges and soft in the middle, offered in about forty different taste variants, both classic and rustic: from Margherita to Gorgonzola and onions; from Bomba (tomato, mozzarella, onions, garlic, salami, olives, peppers, and pepper) to Zingara with onions and capers; then seafood pizza, Diavola, Catalana with shrimp, onions, and arugula. Good news to note: there's no cover charge at Cecchi.

Cecchi - via Madama Cristina, 92 – Torino - www.pizzeriacecchi.it

Da Gino

The sign has been around since 1935, making it one of the longest-standing pizzerias in Turin, in the popular Borgo San Paolo district, a stone's throw from the lively Piazza Sabotino and local markets. Here, at more than fair prices, you can enjoy one of the best farinatas and frying pan pizzas in the city. Among the twenty or so pizzas on the menu, the common feature is their crispiness combined with softness, with just the right touch of richness. The big classics are popular, like Marinara, Margherita, Napoli, and other more particular ones like Occhio (with an egg) and Cipolle. You can also try the paddle pizza, but only upon request and exclusively at lunchtime. Once you've snagged a coveted table, the service is handled by a good number of waitresses, ready to distribute what comes out of the oven quickly and without frills.

Da Gino - Via Monginevro, 46 - Turin

Lentini’s

One sign, two locations (the other is on Corso Moncalieri, 205, with a terrace and roof garden): both are spacious, with a colorful and contemporary style, both decentralized. The choice of pizzas is also extensive, almost thirty options, all available in frying pan versions alongside farinata. The pairings are classic, with some local references, like in the Queen of Bra, with Bra sausage and Castelmagno. Four classic pizzas are also offered in gluten-free variants.

Lentini’s – c.so Orbassano, 470 – Torino - www.lentinis.it

Il Padellino

A large, contemporary-looking venue under the arcades of Corso Vinzaglio, with an open kitchen, art installations, and design. The menu of rounds is entirely dedicated to frying pan pizza, the classic Turin pizza, soft and crispy, offered with traditional toppings - Margherita, Marinara, Quattro Stagioni, ham, and mushrooms, sausage, and friarielli - and rustic, rich pairings like Tonno, onions, and egg, or Calzone della casa, with mozzarella, cooked ham, Gorgonzola, chili, and oil. The Padellino pizza is always in high demand, with a red base featuring buffalo mozzarella, provolone, sausage, and eggplant. Note that all pizzas are offered in gluten-free versions, and in the restaurant, which also serves Piedmontese and seasonal cuisine, there's a complete certified gluten-free menu by AIC (Italian Celiac Association). In addition to frying pan pizza, the indispensable farinata is available here.

Il Padellino - c.so Vinzaglio, 21b – Torino - www.ilpadellinotorino.it

Padellino&Farinata

This establishment, opened by Andrea Merlini (who already had a small takeaway pizzeria in the Cit Turin neighborhood) in what is now one of the new food streets in the city, is a great find for frying pan pizza enthusiasts. Firstly, for the doughs, elaborated with stone-ground, type 1 flours, high hydration percentages, and long maturation, for a light and digestible result. The combinations on the menu are more or less classic: ranging from Margherita to Diavola, from Varigotti (Ligurian version of Napoli, as the anchovies are Ligurian...) to Sardenaira (anchovies, Taggiasca olives, capers, garlic, and oregano). As the sign suggests, there's also classic farinata, both white and yellow, and even stuffed with Gorgonzola. Beer on tap and carafe wines are available. Pleasant, simple, and informal atmosphere.

Padellino & Farinata – via Maria Vittoria, 37a – Turin - www.padellinoefarinata.it

Ruràl Pizza

This beautiful pizzeria with a minimal look, in the trendy Regio Parco district, converted to frying pan pizza some time ago: so, alongside the classic round pizza offerings, there are now also "Turin" pizzas, with a small diameter and high base, both red and white, along with focaccia, farinata, and the inevitable calzone. Selected raw materials enhance a dough made with stone-ground flours, light and digestible. Among the most appreciated options on the menu are always the evergreens: Margherita, Marinara, Napoli, but also territorial variations like Siciliana, with capers, Greca, with tomato, olives, and basil, or the tasty Carmagnola, with peppers and anchovies. In the frying pan version, alongside classic toppings, there are more structured versions like Enzo (tomato, buffalo mozzarella, fried eggplant, 20-month Parmigiano Reggiano, and sausage). Worth mentioning among the white pizzas is Delicata, with mozzarella, Stracchino, zucchini, and 20-month Parmigiano, and - only in frying pan version - Cacio e pepe.

Ruràl Pizza - via Mantova, 27 - www.ruralgroup.it