I Tried 5 Frozen Margherita Pizzas & the Best Was Crispy and Tangy

There are many ways to enjoy pizza, from plain cheese to pepperoni to supreme-style pies topped with virtually everything, but none more traditionally Italian than the Margherita.

Not to be confused with the margarita, the popular Mexican cocktail, the Margherita pizza is believed to have originated in Naples, Italy, circa 1889. The story goes that the first woman to hold the title of queen of Italy, Margherita of Savoy, prompted the creation of the savory pie with her visit to Naples. In her honor, local chef Raffaele Esposito crafted a pizza made with red tomatoes, white mozzarella cheese, and green basil to represent all the colors of the Italian flag.

Some question the legitimacy of this tale, and others believe Margherita pizza could have been invented even earlier. But the fact remains that it has now become a culinary staple not only in the region but also in pizzerias across the United States, thanks to Americans' widespread fondness for Italian foods. The pizza variety also pops up in U.S. grocery stores, namely in the frozen aisle, where names like DiGiorno and California Pizza Kitchen try their hand at the classic.

I recently sampled five different store-bought renditions of the classic. Let's see which brands offer a true taste of Italy and, conversely, which are more akin to an American cafeteria-style lunch. Here's how each ranked in descending order from my least favorite to the best overall.

Caulipower

Veggie-forward company Caulipower asserts that it produces America's #1 cauliflower crust. Its box also suggests that cauliflower is "your favorite vegetable," though, so its credibility is up for debate. The brand was born from one mom's mission to make a gluten-free pizza for her sons. It now boasts six different flavors including this Margherita Stone-fired Cauliflower Crust Pizza. The veggie-based crust is topped with tomato sauce, skim mozzarella cheese and parmesan, basil, and tomatoes. It cost me $7.49 at my local store.

The look: A bit barren. Cheese and tomato dices were applied sparingly to the small pizza as well as the red sauce. In some areas, the brown-edged crust pops through the toppings.

The taste: The stone-fired crust is razor-thin as promised. But, instead of crispy, it came off more chewy and even stuck to my teeth after some bites. The flavor of this base, though, was agreeable–I really don't think I would have guessed it was cauliflower so that's a win in and of itself. The larger problem I had was with the adornments. With hardly any cheese, no influence from the basil, and a bland, watery tomato sauce, the gluten-free pie failed to pique my taste buds.

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Freschetta

Delivering kitchen-fresh frozen pizza made from 100% real ingredients–that's Freschetta's MO. Under this premise, it creates several different types of 'za, using different crusts including gluten-free (look out Caulipower), naturally rising, brick oven, and thin crust. This Margherita naturally falls into the latter category and is covered with a similar list of ingredients as the previous submission: tomato sauce, mozzarella and parmesan cheese, and tomatoes. Basil is not directly called out on the box but dried garlic, dried onion, dehydrated romano cheese, and spice are. The frozen pizza rang up at $6.49.

The look: Flat and well garnished. Melted white cheese covers nearly every bit of the imperfect circle and chopped tomatoes were also generously applied. The only component that gave me pause was the crust which appeared to be rather dry.

The taste: Something about this medley of bread, cheese, and tomato reminds me of school cafeteria Bosco sticks. It could be the crust, which was doughy all along the bottom–though almost cracker-like and flaky on the fringes. Perhaps it was the prominent mozzarella cheese. Or, maybe it was the mediocre red sauce that tasted like Ragu or a lower-cost store brand. Flavors of basil and other herbs and spices were lacking. But, the slices were still munchable overall, and I appreciated the larger helping of tomatoes, which added juiciness.

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DiGiorno

DiGiorno has always been all about its crusts. It started out in 1995 with its original cutting-edge rising crust and ever since its options have burgeoned into stuffed crusts, Detroit-style crusts, and even croissant crusts. Margherita pizza ingredients can be found on several of these base choices, including a thin and crispy stuffed crust, which I grabbed for $10.99. It includes diced roma tomatoes, basil, red sauce, and a quadruple cheesy threat of mozzarella, parmesan, romano, and asiago cheeses.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

The look: I think DiGiorno's definition of thin differs from mine. I would still call this a pretty thickset pie. It was also absolutely blasted with white cheese from side to side that became browned and bubbly in the oven.

The taste: It's not delivery, it's…just okay. If you've had a pizza from this major brand, you know that each variety carries the same classic and bread-forward taste, and this offering is no different. It's mostly just chewy cheese and crust that is hard and crunchy in spots. There is actually a decent amount of basil on this pizza, though, and the sauce is simple yet a step above the previous two in terms of flavor. But overall, there's nothing inherently special about the pie. It's also far from a traditional take on Margherita pizza and one that true Italians would likely scoff at.

 I Tried 8 Trader Joe's Frozen Pizzas & the Best Was Tasty (and Adorable!)

California Pizza Kitchen

California Pizza Kitchen specializes in thin-crust New York- or Italian-style pizzas with fresh seasonal toppings that reflect the Golden State's culture. So, it wasn't too far of a jump to get to the Neapolitan-inspired recipe that is the Margherita pizza. It's sold in both the brand's restaurants and in grocery stores. The frozen store-bought version comes with vine-ripened roma tomatoes, mozzarella and fontina cheeses, extra virgin olive oil, and basil over an Italian herb tomato sauce. It was listed at a price of $9.49.

The look: A bit parched. The cheese was well-distributed with a handful of small tomatoes and basil specks resting on top. But, it has a fairly moistureless appearance to it as a whole.

The taste: Looks were deceiving in this case. This CPK pizza wasn't dry at all but instead defined by its olive oil taste and slight acidity from its tomato sauce. The crust was perfectly thin and crispy as promised and herbal tones elevated each bite–mostly from the basil but oregano was also noticeable, presumably mixed into the sauce. Pieces with an extra sprinkle of cheese and ripe tomatoes were especially delizioso, and even reminded me of a fresh bruschetta. I do think the brand's in-house Margherita pizza would put this one to shame, but it's not too bad for a frozen pie.

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Amy's Kitchen

Like all of Amy's frozen pizzas and other various entrées, the company's Margherita pizza is vegetarian (as most Margherita pizzas are) and made from only organic ingredients. The $8.99 pie starts with a hand-stretched wheat crust. Then, it's topped with a simple tomato sauce, tomatoes, basil, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese. The brand also offers a vegan version of the pizza made with what it calls "vegan mozzarella-style cheeze" instead of the real deal. But, I decided against this dairy-free option.

The look: Available in only a few small dollops, congregated at the center of the circle, the cheese takes an obvious backseat to both sauce and an orange-colored crust in this Margherita remake. The accompanying basil is coarsely chopped and covers most slices.

The taste: As I've written before, the Margherita is one of Amy's best pizzas and it stands out against other brands as well. Slightly garlicky and sweet—perhaps from the addition of honey?—the sauce makes a huge difference even though it's not an exceedingly saucy pizza. It's also supplemented by a light yet gooey helping of mozzarella cheese and strong tangs of basil. To round it out, the crust is a success in terms of both texture and taste. It's soft with some fluff despite its thinner nature and still manages to offer a layer of crispness at the bottom. Amy's does the revered Margherita name proud with this classic rendition.

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