Make the Legendary White Clam Pizza that Put New Haven on the Map

Look, New York pizza has a lot going for it. (For instance, the fact that it’s widely available, endlessly mastered, and perfect in every way.) But that’s not to say that there aren’t other hubs of pizza excellence in this great nation of cheesy slices. Take, for instance, New Haven, Connecticut.

New Haven’s pizza scene gives the Big Apple a run for its money, and one of the biggest stars in the New Haven pizza sky is Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana. When he founded his pizzeria in 1925, Frank Pepe was a pioneer of coal-oven crusts and mouthwatering toppings. While putting clams on your pizza is now a well-known thing, it was Pepe’s white clam pie with mozzarella, garlic, oregano, and a swirl of olive oil that helped put his business on the map. In fact, it has been named the number-one pizza in America. Boom!

Now you can make it at home—and you don’t need a coal-burning pizza oven to do it. A regular old pizza stone will do the trick.

Once you’ve made your easy dough, it’s a breeze. Just roll it out, assemble, and throw that bad boy in the oven for ten to 15 minutes.

But one more tip: If you really want to get into the New Haven vibe, you might want to call your creation “apizza.” You’re not in New York anymore, and maybe that’s OK.