by Anne Taylor

Created on: May 09, 2009

Say the word pizza and most people envision a round disk of crust, swirled with tomato sauce, populated with pepperoni slices on a bed of cheese. But it can be so much more, especially if you think outside the box and consider non-Italian types of pizza.

One definition of pizza is: A baked pie of Italian origin consisting of a shallow bread like crust covered with toppings such as seasoned tomato sauce, cheese, sausage, or olives. (source: The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, Copyright 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.) Taking that definition we have an unlimited list of opportunities to create non-Italian types of pizza by mixing and matching the main components of a traditional pizza.

Consider the crust

Check out the different breads of other countries and you can put your personal spin on pizzas. Just remember most breads or crusts when spread thin have a quick cooking time, so the ingredients used on your pizza should be fully cooked before assembling the pizza.

Here are just a few non-Italian crust choices:

Tortilla crust: One of the easiest ways to have a pizza is to use store bought tortillas, either the cornmeal or flour type. The nice thing about these pizzas is the fact you can usually prepare these either on the stovetop, or in the oven.

Pita bread: Another bread ready-to-go for pizza making is pita. This Middle Eastern bread is another perfect crust for pizza. You would almost say that pita bread gives you a double crust, due to the fact that pita bread is double layered.

Chapati: This thin unleavened flat bread can be found in India as well as parts of Africa. The neat thing about this bread is it can be baked on a grill, so if you are outdoors grilling you can still have your pizza, and keep the oven off. The steps are super simple, but if you want the complete recipe, check out: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/13/dining/131mrex.htm l?_r=1&ref=dining

If you retain the traditional Italian crust, a yeasty flour based crust made with the addition of salt and only water, you can still create non-Italian pizzas.

Out of tomato sauce!

The second component to consider mixing up, on a pizza is the sauce you use on a pizza. While a tomato sauce base is considered Italian, there are other options that are just as tasty!

Picante sauce: Ok, so picante sauce is tomato sauce, it just is not the traditional sauce that Italians use on a pizza, so go for it! This works especially

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