Italy – The Birthplace of Pizza
Italy is famous for its extraordinary culinary heritage, where simple ingredients, regional traditions and a passion for good food come together. Pizza is one of the country's most celebrated dishes, with Naples in southern Italy widely recognized as the birthplace of modern pizza. Traditional Neapolitan pizza is made with yeast-leavened dough and often topped with tomatoes, mozzarella and fresh basil. Over time, pizza has inspired countless regional and international variations, proving that a simple combination of dough, tomato sauce and delicious toppings offers endless possibilities for culinary creativity.
What Is Vegan Halloween Skull Pizza?
Vegan Halloween Skull Pizza is my playful Via Veggie Vegan interpretation of an Italian classic, transformed into two deliciously spooky edible skulls. Instead of traditional yeast dough, I use a quick homemade baking powder dough that can be shaped and baked without a long rising time. A fragrant Italian-inspired tomato sauce, melting plant-based pizza topping, vegan salami, black olives, artichoke hearts, sweetcorn and fiery green chillies create both the flavour and the frightening facial features. Finished with homemade chilli-garlic oil, these golden skull-shaped pizzas bring Italian inspiration, Halloween fun and creative vegan Food Art together on one plate.
▣ Ingredients (2 servings)
- 300 g wheat flour (Type 405 or Tipo 00)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 150-160 ml lukewarm water
- 150 g tomato passata
- 1 tsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 3 leaves fresh basil
- 100 g grated plant-based pizza topping, preferably a melting variety
- 8 slices vegan salami
- 5 black olives
- 6 artichoke hearts, drained
- 50 g canned sweetcorn, drained
- 2 hot green chillies
- 1 tbsp homemade chilli-garlic oil, for drizzling
- to taste salt & freshly ground black pepper
♨ Preparation
- Prepare the Pizza Dough
Combine the wheat flour, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl.
Add the olive oil and approximately 150 ml of lukewarm water.
Mix everything with a spoon before kneading the dough by hand on a lightly floured work surface for approximately 5 minutes, until smooth and pliable.
If the dough feels too dry, gradually add a little more water. If it becomes sticky, dust the surface with a small amount of flour.
Unlike traditional yeast dough, this quick pizza dough does not require a long rising time. - Prepare the Homemade Tomato Sauce
Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a small saucepan over low to medium heat.
Add the finely grated garlic and sauté briefly without allowing it to brown.
Stir in the tomato paste and gently roast for approximately 30 seconds to deepen its flavour.
Add the tomato passata, oregano and basil.
Simmer gently for approximately 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly.
Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly before spreading it over the pizza dough. - Shape the Halloween Skulls
Divide the dough into two equal portions.
Roll each portion out thinly, approximately 3 mm thick, on a lightly floured work surface.
Using a skull illustration as a visual guide, carefully shape each piece of dough into a skull silhouette with a rounded head, narrower cheekbones and a wider lower jaw.
Transfer the shaped dough onto baking trays lined with baking paper.
Using your thumb, gently fold and press the cut edges upwards to create a small raised crust around each skull. This helps keep the tomato sauce and toppings in place. - Prepare the Toppings
Drain the artichoke hearts and cut them into smaller pieces.
Drain the sweetcorn and slice the green chillies into thin rings.
Cut 3 of the black olives into thin rings for the eyes and teeth.
Halve the remaining 2 olives lengthwise and gently pinch their pointed ends together to create small, nose-like shapes.
Reserve 4 vegan salami slices for the eyes, using 2 slices per skull.
Slightly overlap the remaining 4 salami slices in pairs and trim each pair into a rectangular shape to create the mouths. - Add the Tomato Sauce and Plant-Based Pizza Topping
Preheat the oven to 220°C conventional heat (top and bottom heat).
Spread half of the homemade tomato sauce thinly over each skull-shaped pizza base, leaving the raised edges uncovered.
Sprinkle approximately 50 g grated plant-based pizza topping over each pizza.
Choose a variety specifically designed to melt well in the oven. - Create the Skull Faces
Place 2 round vegan salami slices in the upper section of each skull to create the eyes.
Position a black olive ring in the centre of each salami slice.
Place the prepared rectangular salami pieces across the lower section of the skulls to form the mouths.
Arrange the remaining black olive rings in two rows over the salami rectangles to resemble spooky teeth.
Position the shaped olive halves between the eyes and mouth to create the noses. - Add the Remaining Toppings
Distribute the artichoke hearts, sweetcorn and green chilli rings around the skull faces.
Keep the main facial features clearly visible.
Make sure the toppings are spread evenly and do not overload the thin dough. - Bake the Skull Pizzas
Place the pizzas in the preheated oven and bake at 220°C for approximately 15 minutes.
Check them regularly, as oven temperatures and baking times may vary.
The pizzas are ready when the edges are golden brown, the crust is crisp and the plant-based pizza topping has melted.
If baking both pizzas on separate trays, swap their positions partway through baking if necessary to ensure even browning. - Add the Fiery Finishing Touch
Remove the pizzas from the oven and allow them to rest briefly.
Drizzle with homemade chilli-garlic oil.
Serve immediately while the crust is crispy and the topping is still warm.
Food Story
Two Skulls, One Deliciously Spooky Idea
Some people see pizza dough and think of a perfectly round Margherita. I see pizza dough and wonder whether I can turn it into a skull. Welcome to my Halloween kitchen, where apparently even an innocent Italian classic isn’t safe from my imagination! I absolutely love Italian food, but I also have a serious weakness for turning everyday dishes into edible little works of art. And during spooky season? Well, that’s when my imagination really starts running wild. Why settle for a perfectly round pizza when you can have two deliciously creepy skulls staring back at you from the dinner table?
From Pizza Night to a Culinary Crime Scene
For this little experiment, I decided to skip the traditional round pizza and create two edible skulls instead. First came the homemade dough, carefully shaped into spooky silhouettes. Then the real fun began. Vegan salami became the eyes and mouths, black olives turned into pupils, teeth and noses, and artichoke hearts, sweetcorn and spicy green chillies brought the whole creation to life. Or perhaps I should say back from the dead? Suddenly, my kitchen looked less like an Italian pizzeria and more like a very delicious crime scene. And I was enjoying every minute of it!
No Bones About It – This Pizza Is to Die For!
The best part about Halloween cooking is that there really are no limits to creativity. You can play with shapes, colours and ingredients and still end up with something genuinely delicious. Of course, being firmly on Team Garlic and Team Spicy, I couldn’t resist finishing my two little monsters with a generous drizzle of homemade chilli-garlic oil. Crispy golden crust, fragrant tomato sauce, melting vegan pizza topping and plenty of fiery flavour – what’s not to love? The result was a pair of skulls that looked frighteningly good and tasted even better. Who knew skulls could be so irresistible? Two skulls. Zero animal products. One deliciously spooky Italian dinner. Buon appetito – and happy Halloween!
♨ Nutrition per serving
Nutritional values are approximate and may vary depending on the ingredients and products used.
Good to Know
Why Use Baking Powder Instead of Yeast?
Traditional Italian pizza dough is usually made with yeast and requires time to rise and develop its characteristic texture. Baking powder offers a quicker alternative. It creates a dough that can be rolled out and baked almost immediately, making it particularly convenient for creative shapes and spontaneous Halloween cooking. The result is different from traditional yeast pizza, but wonderfully suitable for a thin, crispy base.
Why Make Your Own Tomato Sauce?
Homemade pizza sauce gives you complete control over the ingredients and seasoning. A combination of tomato passata, garlic, oregano and basil creates a simple Italian-inspired flavour. Briefly roasting the tomato paste enhances its savoury depth, while a short simmer helps reduce excess moisture that could otherwise soften the pizza crust. Allowing the sauce to cool slightly before spreading it over the dough also makes the pizza easier to assemble.
The Secret to Melting Plant-Based Pizza Toppings
Not all plant-based cheese alternatives behave the same way in the oven. Products specifically developed for pizza often contain starches and plant-based fats that help them soften and melt when heated. For this recipe, approximately 50 g per pizza is enough to create a light, creamy layer without hiding the skull decorations. Melting properties vary between brands, so choosing a product designed for oven baking makes a noticeable difference.
Artichokes – More Than Just a Pizza Topping
Artichoke hearts have a delicate, slightly nutty flavour and a tender texture that works beautifully with tomato sauce and savoury toppings. They also provide dietary fibre, which contributes to normal digestive function. When using canned or jarred artichokes, drain them thoroughly before adding them to the pizza to prevent excess moisture from making the crust soggy.
How Spicy Are Green Chillies?
The heat of green chillies varies considerably depending on the variety and ripeness. Much of their pungency comes from capsaicin, which is concentrated particularly in the pale inner membranes. Removing these membranes can reduce the heat. For a milder Halloween pizza, use fewer chilli rings or choose a gentler variety. For an extra fiery version, leave the membranes intact and finish with homemade chilli-garlic oil.
Why Add Chilli-Garlic Oil After Baking?
Drizzling chilli-garlic oil over the finished pizza adds a fragrant, spicy finishing touch without exposing the oil and garlic to the oven's high heat. Garlic can develop bitter flavours when it becomes excessively browned. Adding the oil just before serving allows its aroma to remain prominent and gives the crispy crust an extra burst of flavour. If preparing homemade garlic-infused oil, use it immediately or refrigerate it promptly and follow safe storage guidance, as garlic stored in oil can present a food safety risk.
