The Mushroom-Lover's Pizza
Not every pizza wants tomato. The Pizza Appennina at ALBA, the Amalfi-inspired Italian restaurant in Knightsbridge opposite Harrods, is a white pizza built for the other end of the Italian larder - earthy porcini mushrooms and black truffle over a wood-fired base, no red sauce in sight. If you are hunting a porcini truffle pizza in Knightsbridge, this is the one.
What Is Pizza Appennina?
Where most of the menu looks to the coast, the Appennina heads inland. It takes its name from the Apennines - the mountain spine that runs the length of Italy, and the country's great mushroom-and-truffle country. In place of tomato, it layers porcini and black truffle over a thin, blistered crust: a woodland pizza rather than a coastal one, and one of the few on the menu that skips the tomato entirely. It is vegetarian, and it eats richer and deeper than a classic red pizza.
Porcini and Black Truffle
The two toppings do different jobs. Porcini - the prized cep of the Italian autumn - bring a dense, savoury, almost meaty depth. Black truffle sits over the top, aromatic and earthy, the scent arriving a moment before the flavour. Together they make the Appennina the order for anyone who loves mushrooms, and a natural next step for guests who already gravitate to ALBA's truffle dishes. For a bigger occasion, an extra shaving of black truffle can be added at the table.
Wood-Fired, Naples-Style
Every pizza at ALBA comes out of a wood-fired oven imported from Naples, running hot - around 480°C - so a pizza cooks in roughly three minutes. That fierce, quick heat is what gives the base its char-spotted lift and keeps the porcini and truffle from overcooking. You can watch it happen: the oven sits on the open kitchen line, in full view of the room. It is the same oven behind ALBA's wood-fired pizzas across the board.
Where It Sits on the Menu
The Appennina is one of a short, deliberate line-up of pizzas, sitting alongside classics such as the Margherita Della Nonna. It is the choice when you want something earthier than a Margherita but lighter than a full plate of pasta - and it reads beautifully next to a glass of red from the wider menu.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Pizza Appennina?
It is ALBA's white pizza topped with porcini mushrooms and black truffle - no tomato - fired in a wood oven. Named after the Apennine mountains, Italy's mushroom-and-truffle heartland.
Is Pizza Appennina vegetarian?
Yes. It is topped with porcini mushrooms and black truffle, with no meat or fish.
What does Pizza Appennina taste like?
Rich and earthy - the deep, savoury flavour of porcini beneath the aroma of black truffle, on a thin wood-fired base, without the acidity of a tomato pizza.
Where can I get a porcini truffle pizza in Knightsbridge?
At ALBA London, 70 Brompton Road, opposite Harrods - the Pizza Appennina is on the pizza menu, with extra black truffle available on request.
Where is ALBA London?
At 70 Brompton Road, London SW3 1ER, directly opposite Harrods in Knightsbridge.
