Ciao! Pizza & Pasta takes us out of Boston proper and into Chelsea for wood-fired pizza, and it’s always worth the trip (and maybe a little traffic). Right off of the Tobin Bridge, it may as well be Naples: The 11-inch Neapolitan-style pizzas at Ciao are topped with premium ingredients. Try the Salsiccia with house-made fennel sausage, cherry peppers, pecorino, and oregano; or the Prosciutto di Parma with port and fig jam, gorgonzola, fresh mozzarella, arugula, and balsamic. 

Just 20 minutes outside of Boston in Newton Centre, chef Lydia Reichert and her partners from nearby favorites Sycamore and Little Big Diner also bring us Jinny’s Pizzeria. Centered on a beautifully blue-tiled Valoriani pizza oven from Tuscany, the spot serves up pies with classic Italian flavor combos like the red-sauced Alla Norma with eggplant, basil, ricotta, smoked mozzarella, and chili flakes; as well as seasonal white pies. Slow-fermented dough is thrown in a 700-degree fire which blisters it up perfectly. It’s all about that crispy, soft-chewy edge, so do not—do not—skip on the North End Oil Dippin’ Sauce for that pillowy crust.

Si Cara fires up the gas in Central Square, but we’d be remiss to exclude it from this Neapolitan-ish list. The Cambridge pizza bar is serving a style called canotto, specific to the softer and more puffed-up crust than a typical wood-fired pie. According to chef Michael Lombardi, it’s one way next-generation pizzaiolo are challenging the rules of authentic Neapolitan pizza. Love a good rebel story! Si Cara’s signature crust starts with a higher water-to-flour ratio than true Neapolitan pizza, then it ferments for two days with a homegrown sourdough starter. The can’t-miss Margherita tops that swoon-worthy crust with crushed Piennolo tomatoes from the hillsides of Mount Vesuvius, fior di latte from Connecticut, and fresh basil.

The 825-degree pizza oven crackling away in the center of restaurant Posto crisps up pies quickly. This Davis Square spot stays close to tradition with the highest quality ingredients. Think San Marzano tomatoes, imported 00 flour, and Posto’s very own fiore di latte, a fresh mozzarella cheese made in-house every day. Try the Meatball Pizza with a blend of beef, pork, veal along with mozzarella, asiago, parmesan, oregano, and garlic. 

Stoked Pizza Co. makes it easy to wax nostalgic for old-school pizza parties with its groovy, retro vibes and familiar yet ingenious New York-Neapolitan-style pizzas. What really separates Stoked from other pizzerias, though, is its fully vegan menu, offering meat-free alternatives to nearly everything, including the cult-favorite Cheeseburger Pizza. Originally a food truck and still a takeout fav, Stoked opened its first brick-and-mortar in Brookline’s Washington Square before following it up with a mid century-chic cocktail bar in Harvard Square, Cambridge. 

Da LaPosta might be a newcomer to the Newtonville neighborhood, but chef-owner Mario LaPosta is not new to slinging pies. He’s been tossing dough from 15 years old, later working in some of the best Neapolitan pizzerias in Italy. In Newton, his naturally leavened dough starts with organic, whole wheat flour the chef blends himself. Bianco di Napoli tomatoes comprise the fresh tomato sauce, and toppings are the finest available. Keep it simple with a house Margherita, or give the super savory Bagna Cauda pizza a go with house-made sausage, escarole, mozzarella, garlic, and anchovy. A few lucky diners may even land the coveted seat in front of the pizza oven where all the action happens.

From Naples, Italy to Fort Point, Boston, Pastoral takes pizza seriously. Before opening, owner Todd Winer completed a pizzaiolo training course through the US branch of the global governing board of true Neapolitan pizza. It starts with the oven—at Pastoral, a gorgeous, red-tiled, wood-fired hearth straight from Napoli. Next, the freshest ingredients, from hand-torn, DOC mozzarella bufala to crushed tomatoes and fennel sausage. Gluten-free crust is always available for any pizza.