Are you a pizza lover looking to spice up your pizza-love life with some exciting side dishes? Or, maybe you’re throwing a pizza party and are trying to find the perfect sides to serve with the main pizza course. No matter what brought you here, you can rest easy knowing our pizza expertise makes us an excellent source for all things pizza, including what goes best with it.
What Goes With Pizza: A Saga
It’s not enough to simply provide you with a few side-dish ideas for what to serve with pizza for a dinner party and call it a day. No, we’ve taken it a step further and have created a complete guide for what you can dish up alongside your favorite food before, during, and after pizza is served. And, to really show our crazy pizza-loving side, we’ve even included some great ideas for food to serve with pizza depending on the pizza type.
Appetizers To Serve With Pizza
To kick off this epic exploration of all foods that go well with pizza, we’ll start with the pre-pizza phase. Whether you’re at a pizza joint and want to order an appetizer or you’re preparing your own pie for friends and want to give them something to nibble on while waiting for the main course to be ready, here are the top appetizers to pair with your favorite pie:
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- Mozzarella and spinach salad: For a healthier appetizer, the spinach and mozzarella salad is a great choice. Spinach is an excellent complement to pretty much any pizza, while the mozzarella will give you a cheese fix to tide you over until you can sink your teeth into a piece of pizza. Drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette and toss with salt and pepper.
- Buffalo wings: If you going for a more sports-centric vibe, the buffalo wing never disappoints. While not exactly healthy, this classic finger food pairs well with pizza and will keep your company satisfied until your pie is ready.
- Parmesan zucchini sticks: If you want to trick your kids (or yourself) into eating some veggies pre-pizza, look no further than the parmesan zucchini stick. This sneaky little appetizer looks and tastes like a bad decision but actually packs a ton of vegetable goodness in every bite.
- Pasta salad: This option is great for when entertaining guests and is fairly easy to throw together. It pairs well with just about any pizza, but you can always choose a pasta salad that complements the pizza flavor. For example, if you’re making a spinach and mozzarella pizza, try a Mediterranean pasta salad.
What To Serve With Pizza
Here are a few of the best dishes to serve alongside your pie as part of the main course:
- Roasted vegetables: This side dish is a simple and delicious option to serve with pizza. Simply cut up some seasonal veggies, drizzle them with oil and spices, and pop them in the oven with your pie. Great vegetables that pair well with any pizza include bell peppers, squash, and mushrooms.
- Greek salad: For a burst of healthy flavor, serve your pizza with a side of Greek salad. This salad is chock-full of deliciousness with its olives, tomatoes, feta, olive oil, and cucumber. Throw in some couscous for even more flavor.
- Garlic bread: If you want to keep it classic, you can never go wrong with good ole’ garlic bread. Make it cheesy for even more deliciousness.
What To Serve After Your Pizza
Pizza parties aren’t complete without a little post-pizza treat. Here are some of the best foods to eat to round out your pizza meal perfectly:
- Fruit: If you’re feeling exceptionally full after pizza or simply want to opt for a healthier post-pizza snack, fruit is a perfect choice. Packed with digestive enzymes, fruit not only tastes great but can also help you digest your food better. Good post-pizza fruit options include pineapple, mango, and kiwi.
- Vanilla ice cream: This dessert is a great way to complete your meal with a simple yet delicious dose of sugar. If you’re feeling fancy, channel your inner Italian and indulge in some gelato.
- Coffee: A heavy pizza meal can leave some feeling sluggish, so coffee is always a good (and stimulating) way to end your dinner. Coffee pairs well with just about any pizza flavor and won’t offset your taste buds following a delicious pie.
Side Dishes for Popular Pizza Types
Interested in making your side dish and your pizza as compatible as possible? We’ve got you. Here are some of the most popular pizza types and the foods that go best with each:
Cheese Pizza
Cheese pizza is the most basic pizza option, so you can definitely get a little crazy with your side dishes when enjoying this pizza type. A few great foods to pair with cheese pizza include Caesar salad, roasted vegetables such as artichokes, meatballs, and jalapeño poppers.
Pepperoni Pizza
Pepperoni pizza is a classic that is loved by nearly everyone who calls themselves a pizza eater. Good dishes to pair with pepperoni pizza include kale salad, fried mozzarella sticks, antipasto salad, breadsticks, and arugula salad with parmesan.
Mushroom Pizza
Mushroom pizza is a simple yet delicious pizza option that goes well with a variety of side dishes. Since mushroom pizza typically doesn’t have meat on it, consider preparing a side dish that does, such as buffalo chicken meatballs or chicken wings. Garlic knots also make a great appetizer or side for mushroom pizza.
Sausage Pizza
Another fan-favorite is the sausage pizza. Sausage can pack a pretty heavy punch, so your side dish should be simple, refreshing, and light. Great side options to pair with sausage pizza include a light spinach salad with balsamic vinegar, roasted broccoli, carrots, and/or asparagus, vegetables and hummus, and house salad.
While pizza is absolutely a food group all on its own, you can’t go wrong with these side dishes to spice things up. Did we miss a great pizza side dish? Let us know and we’ll be sure to add it to the list.