Valencia has again this 2025 one of the best pizza chefs in Spain. Rugiero Lanotte, chef of the restaurant Il Cortile, has won the 1st prize for “pizza a pala” in the 4th Championship of Spain of Gourmet Pizzas by DO Ribeira Sacra, held as part of the 38th edition of the Salón Gourmets in Madrid.
The Pizza Pala category differs from the traditional pizza by its peculiar shape. It stands out for being an elongated, rectangular dough that takes the shape of the shovels with which it is introduced in the oven.
Crunchy on the outside and airy on the inside, it is one of the most unknown forms of Italian cuisine. It is typical of Rome and known as “Lingua Romana” or pizza “al taglio” (cut), because it is the shape used in this type of business.
It is so called because it is handled and baked on a long shovel, usually made of wood. With a hydration between 80 and 100%, it has a light, honeycombed and crunchy texture.
It has slightly higher edges than the center and is usually between 60 cm and 1 meter long.
With Lanotte’s triumph in 2025, Il Cortile continues to add to its list of awards, which already includes best spicy pizza, best gluten-free pizza and best margherita in previous years.
During this contest, Pablo Huertas, from Mariu Pizza (Ibi, Alicante), was crowned Best Pizza Maker of Spain 2025, after standing out in at least four different categories of the championship.