TV chef Aldo Zilli tries pepperoni pizzas – his bargain deep pan winner is packed with toppings & great to tear & share
LET'S DOUGH! TV chef Aldo Zilli tries pepperoni pizzas – his bargain deep pan winner is packed with toppings & great to tear & share
WOMEN'S Euro 2025 is under way and our Lionesses are ready to roar once again.
But what to snack on when watching? Seven million pizzas are expected to fly off the shelves during the tournament so if you are planning to tuck into a slice or two while watching, which low-cost dough is the worthy champion?
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To find out, we asked Italian celebrity chef – and Lioness supporter – Aldo Zilli to try a selection of pepperoni pizzas all costing less than a fiver.
Tesco 'The American' Stonebaked Pepperoni Pizza
277g, 12% pepperoni, £3.50
8
The cheese on this pizza has a very strange texture
LOOKS more like a pancake. It is so thin, like it has been run over or perhaps like someone has sat on it.
That is not my only issue with this skinny slice.
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The cheese is another negative, it has a very strange texture – it looks gooey and sticky. Not very appetising.
The whole thing appears clammy and a bit sweaty. The ingredients state that it is a proper mozzarella, but it must not be a good example of the cheese as something isn't right.
It's not all bad though. The pepperoni is impressive with a nice sheen and good smoked pork flavour with a decent amount of it too.
Overall a nice meaty topping but a terrible base and cheese.
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RATING: 3/5
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Sainsbury's Stonebaked Pepperoni Pizza
270g, 11% pepperoni, £3.75
8
This pizza has none of the puffy textures you expect from a proper Italian-style slice
Credit: Louis Wood
SOMETHING about the dough is odd. It's not overly thick but very dense and bready.
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I can actually peel back layers within the base, so it's more like a piece of white sliced even though it's meant to be stone baked.
There is none of the nice puffy, charred textures you expect from a proper Italian style slice.
The tomato puree is fine and the mozzarella is OK for the price but it is burned around the edges because it is spread unevenly and the whole thing looks greasy.
They've been mean with the pepperoni so it's not great for sharing as you won't get a fair share of toppings. Will soak up a beer or two taste-wise, it's not the best.
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RATING: 3/5
Asda Stonebaked Pepperoni Pizza
317g, 13% pepperoni, £2.58
8
This good-quality pizza from Asda has enough topping to be satisfying
IMPRESSIVE. It is hard to get that proper stonebaked taste in a dough cooked at home, but Asda have given it a decent go.
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It looks about as authentic as you'll get for a supermarket attempt and it tastes close too.
There's enough topping to be satisfying and everything is good quality.
Nice bubbling from a decent mozzarella cheese that has been placed with care so it doesn't spill over the edges.
It looks and smells like a proper stonebaked pizza with charred patches and unlevelling in the crusts and has an enticing aroma.
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It is slightly soft and a bit dry but you don't notice too much as the pepperoni is nice and oily. Great value.
RATING: 4/5
Morrisons Stonebaked Pepperoni Pizza
285g, 10% pepperoni, £3.50
8
It looks like someone has forgotten to put the toppings on this bare pizza from Morrisons
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IF you want a pizza to share with friends, you will definitely need more than one of these.
It's so bare and mean. Where on Earth are the toppings? It looks like someone has forgotten to put them on the dough.
In total there are nine pieces of pepperoni, which is stingy, and the tomato puree doesn't taste very nice. It is bitter when it should provide a lovely juicy sweetness.
The cheese is OK and the dough is average but, overall, this isn't a great example of something that should be so simple and easy to do well.
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You'd be better off buying a plain base and adding your own toppings to it.
RATING: 2/5
Chef Select Stonebaked Pepperoni Pizza, Lidl
313g, 15% smoked pepperoni, £2.49
8
The meat on this pizza from Lidl looks and tastes far too processed
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A LIGHT, crisp, spongy and evenly cooked dough can be delicious and this has a very good base.
A bit thicker in patches than some of the others but I don't mind that as it has the right taste and feel when you eat it with the toppings, and it won't leave you feeling stuffed.
The meat on top however is another story. It looks far too processed and tastes that way too.
The pepperoni has dried out and gone very crunchy around the edges which doesn't taste nice.
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The layer of tomato puree also should be sweeter. The base is good and so is the price, sadly the toppings are letting this pizza down.
RATING: 3/5
Carlos Stonebaked Pepperoni Pizza, Aldi
313g, 15% pepperoni, £2.49
8
This pizza from Aldi is more like a giant cheese on toast
Credit: Louis Wood
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A BIT hit and miss. There are generous amounts of meat and cheese topping but the pepperoni has burned around the edges.
The dough isn't unpleasant but texturally it's more like a flatbread with toppings. So, really what you are eating, is like a giant cheese on toast.
It's large so there will be lots to share around which is good when watching footie but, appearance-wise, it doesn't make my mouth water.
Great price though and you do get plenty.
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It tastes OK so it will do the job of scoffing in front of the telly especially if you need to buy a few.
RATING: 3/5
Stonebaked Double Pepperoni Pizza, Co-op
327g, 12% pepperoni & mini-pepperoni, £2.49
8
Co-op's stonebaked pizza is excellent for the price
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INTERESTING pizza with a mix of mini and normal sized pepperoni slices on top. It appears generous, plus gives it a more meaty flavour which I approve of.
Overall this is an excellent pizza for the price. It might not be as cheap as some but it was the largest stonebaked style and you get a lot more slices and so much pork which I think makes it good value.
It has well made dough which is thin, crispy and done in the Italian style so it is nice, soft and fluffy with airy pockets. Not easy to achieve with a supermarket slice. They've also used very good cheese.
A quality pizza made with Italian style ingredients. I'd happily eat this.
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RATING: 4/5
Trattoria Alfredo Deep Pan Double Pepperoni Pizza, Lidl
377g, 11% pepperoni & mini-pepperoni, £1.35
8
Lidl's Deep Pan pizza is perfect for watching the footie with mates
Credit: Louis Wood
EVEN though I'm Italian, I don't mind a proper deep pan base. A deep pan will always fill you up and if you want a more substantial slice this will certainly do the job.
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It tastes far better than it looks, even though I was surprised how good it is once cooked from frozen.
They've used good mozzarella, amazing at this price, and been very generous as there's two types of pepperoni.
This is perfect for watching footie with mates – great to tear and share and delivers exactly what you want with some drinks, soft or boozy.
Pillowy and tasty with oozy cheese and lots of pork. It's a bargain too. A winner. This is the one I'd be heating up before I cheer on the Lionesses.
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RATING: 5/5
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