This “Legendary” Frozen Pizza Is My New Dorm Freezer Staple

Nine times out of 10, there’s a frozen pizza in my freezer. If not, I’m at my local grocery store picking one up. It was a staple throughout my childhood, and the options in the freezer aisle have come a long way since then. You might even say we’re in the golden age of frozen pizza.

I’ve tried lots of different frozen pizza brands, and I’m always interested in trying new ones — especially when they’re created by one of the most legendary pizza shops in New York. The speed with which I secured samples of Di Fara’s Vodka Sauce Pizza is almost as impressive as the pizza itself. Let me explain why. 

In a city where you can easily walk past a dozen pizza shops without even trying, Di Fara still stands out. In fact, it’s been awarded the go-to spot by many critics, including the late Anthony Bourdain who called it “the best of the best.” 

Di Fara was established in Midwood, Brooklyn, in 1965 by Domenico DeMarco, an Italian immigrant, who perfected his pizza recipe over decades. He emphasized using high-quality ingredients like double zero flour, bufala mozzarella, and slow-cooked Sunday sauce. He shaped the dough, hand-sliced the pepperoni, and finished each pie with a drizzle of olive oil and fresh basil. Unsurprisingly, long lines formed around the shop, and the rest is history. 

Pizza fans who live outside of New York can now get a taste of his famous pizza at your local grocery store. Known for its signature crisp-outside yet chewy-inside crust, the frozen version contains wheat flour, deactivated durum wheat sourdough, yeast, and water. It’s topped with a creamy vodka sauce (made with vine-ripened tomatoes, sea salt, heavy cream, onions, tomato paste, extra virgin olive oil, corn starch, water, spices, vodka, and sea salt) and a layer of mozzarella and Parmigiano Reggiano, plus handpicked basil. 

Di Fara’s Vodka Sauce Pizza launched this past June and is currently available at select grocery retailers in the Mid-Atlantic region. It’s $9.99 in store and a few dollars more online at Instacart. The brand also expects to roll out to Kroger locations in 15 states across the U.S. in September. In addition to vodka sauce, Di Fara’s line includes three meat, classic, and pepperoni frozen pizzas.

I’ll be honest, I’ve never trekked to Midwood to try the OG, but if this slice is any indication, I need to. I heated the frozen pizza directly on the middle oven rack as per the instructions at 450°F for about 12 minutes. As it cooked, whiffs of garlic and tomato wafted from my oven. My apartment instantly smelled like a pizzeria I’d grab a slice from after a late night out.

Once out of the oven, I waited a few minutes for it to cool before slicing it up and digging in — and WOW. If I didn’t unbox it myself, I’d never know it was ever frozen. The crust was SUPER crispy, nearly cracker-thin, with an audible crunch and snap. And yet! It still had a good chew the further into the center I got. 

Sometimes vodka sauce can be a bit too heavy, IMO, and weigh the pizza (and me) down. Not with Di Fara. The thin layer of creamy sauce adds just enough flavor of robust tomatoes and garlic while still being light. The mix of cheeses is just right as well, plus I love the added freshness from the basil.  I’ll definitely be purchasing another one (or two) on my next grocery run. 

Buy: Di Fara Vodka Sauce Pizza, $11.34 for 16.1 ounces at Instacart 

This post originally appeared on The Kitchn. See it there: I Just Found a Frozen Pizza That’s So Delicious, I’ve Already Eaten It Twice This Week