Skip Deep Dish And Try This Beloved Midwest Pizza Style Instead

Residents of Illinois have no shortage of options when it comes to ordering pizzas. While many outside the state may be familiar with deep-dish-style pizza, others may be acquainted with tavern-style pies. A third option delights locals by combining two favorites in one: spaghetti and pizza. Spaghetti pizza may sound like a radical idea, but for those who have tried it, the reviews are generally positive. Sterling's Angelo's Pizzeria is credited with the concept. "I've never heard of such a thing until I came here," wrote an Angelo's customer on TripAdvisor. 

After the pizza dough is rolled and covered in tomato sauce, al dente spaghetti noodles are spread across the surface. Recipes can vary, with some restaurants adding mozzarella on top of the spaghetti and others using spaghetti itself as the pizza base. Purists maintain that only spaghetti should be on top of these pizzas. Some critics remark that the combination of spaghetti and pizza is an abomination, but the number of customers ordering this specific pizza suggests otherwise. "I'm not sure how to feel about this," one user wrote on Instagram.

Bites of spaghetti pizza can be both surprising and comforting. A customer of Angelo's described a sweet-tasting dough that pairs well with the savory spaghetti. "Normally you don't have that type of taste when it comes with other mainstream places like Little Caesars, Domino's, Pizza Hut, or even Papa John's (which still has a slight sweetness to the dough). But the taste of it is nothing compared with Angelo's," wrote the customer on TripAdvisor, who added that the pizza is a filling one and offers plenty of leftovers. Hearty appetites are encouraged.

Illinois is no stranger to unique foods. The region is home to the sloppy horseshoe sandwich, a thick piece of toast topped with a meat patty, a heaping of French fries, and cheese sauce. The mother-in-law sandwich serves up a tamale that is set into a hot dog bun and topped with chili. These hybrid creations might sound outlandish, but they've attracted enough fans and a devoted following to keep them on menus. Perhaps the spaghetti pizza can inspire you to start merging favorite recipes in your own kitchen.