Milan discovers Luca Pezzetta's Roman pizza: the talented young baker surprises at Futura, a different format but parallel to his three restaurants in Lazio. From the experimental dough to the team, to the toppings inspired by Paccheri “Da Vittorio”: the ingredients for success that combines quantity and quality.
Photo credits:
Slevin (pizzas); Mubariz Alizada (portraits and round tomato, butter, and Parmesan cheese); Giulio Paternò (interiors)
Luca Pezzetta conquers Milan with Futura
Even a slice of pizza can tell a story. And the burnt crust can evoke childhood memories, just as technique can become poetry. In Milan, at Via Pietro Borsieri 28, Luca Pezzetta opens the doors of Futura Pizzeria Romana, and with it a new chapter in his story: Roman pizza like you've never tasted before, where the dough rolled out with a rolling pin tells of ancient gestures, but also meticulously selected flours, live yeasts cared for with passion, and toppings with striking geometries. Each round is an invitation, each supplì a small marvel of research and memory, each combination a glimpse into the evolution of the classic disc of dough.
The project
“The future stems from some of the experience I've gained over the last four years with my other three businesses,” says Pezzetta. We're talking about Clementina, Microforno, and Ippolito Osteria. The first is the backbone of the Roman project, the guardian of traditional pizza made with a rolling pin: thin, light, crispy, topped to the edge, and cooked in a traditional oven. Despite its location on the outskirts of Fiumicino, the pizzeria attracts around 65,000 customers every year, figures that speak for themselves: the public responds to an authentic product, rooted in tradition yet surprisingly contemporary.
Bringing this round pizza to Milan, in a neighborhood already saturated with pizzerias, might have seemed like a gamble. “Given the trend, the idea was to relaunch this traditional Roman product, which is relatively unknown outside the city,” explains Luca. And it is precisely this challenge—innovating in an already competitive environment—that makes Futura unique: a format that appeals to everyone, from young people to businesspeople, from critics to enthusiasts.
Beyond pizza: research, ethics, teamwork
But that's not all, because the laboratory at the heart of Futura takes center stage: the kitchen, the artisan oven, the counter, and the cocktail station are visible to customers, who can watch the pizza makers at work and soak up the artisan atmosphere. The spaces, designed by the Antitetico studio, mix warm and cool materials, from steel and marble to cherry wood and Lecce stone, with Pompeian red color accents. The oven, designed together with Pezzetta by Esposito Forni di Segni, has a wide mouth and a higher vault, designed to maximize pizza cooking.
This is where Luca Pezzetta's words, interviewed by us for the opening of Futura, come to the fore: "Futura is an idea of Roman neighborhood pizza. The intention is to bring back to the table that classic pizza, thin and with burnt edges, without frills, just like my grandfather used to make it. Clementina, on the other hand, represents my contemporary expression, where the cooking becomes the protagonist on the dough. I believe that in Italy today, it is necessary to communicate what it really means to make high-quality pizza: a contemporary pizza must be designed and made with awareness, research, respect for the raw ingredients, and for the team that works alongside the pizza chef.“ Here another crucial aspect emerges: ”For me, the same care taken in choosing the ingredients must be reserved for the team. A close-knit, valued, and well-paid team makes all the difference in any business."
Behind every pizza, behind every supplì and sfogliato, there is an ethical philosophy that accompanies the project. “A good pizza is one made by a healthy company that pays its employees, respects its suppliers, and respects its customers. The product must have a positive, ethical, and conscious context in every way. In Italy, we cannot afford to take shortcuts; we are in the country of gastronomy.” After all, for Pezzetta, pizza is not just about flavor, it is about identity and the future. "The pizza of my heart is one that reminds you of the past, that takes you back to your childhood. An example? The Roman-style pizza with tomato sauce that you used to take to school in your backpack. Simple, but brilliant in its crispness, aroma, and balance of flavors, capable of awakening all five senses. “ And on the ‘future’ of pizza: ”Today, the pizza maker who looks ahead is the one who rediscovers the past with intelligence, who uses sourdough, raw flours, and ancient grains such as solina or saragolla. The future of pizza will be a return to the past, because only then will it be reliable."
Pizzas, fried foods, and pastries: everything on the menu
The menu offers a delightful interplay of flavors and textures, designed to surprise without betraying the simplicity of Roman pizza—even though the research behind it is the result of technical work that has few equals on the national scene. Luca's pizzas have a diameter of 32 centimeters and weigh about 160 grams: thin and crunchy, with a slightly browned edge, just as tradition dictates. The toppings range from the classic Prosciutto e Funghi (ham and mushrooms) or Tonno e Cipolla (tuna and onion) to Pezzetta's signature pizzas: Capricciosa di Mare, a combination of tomato, raw mozzarella, yellow and red cherry tomatoes, fish prosciutto, Jewish-style artichokes, bottarga, and olive paste, and Marinara del Futuro, with tomato, olive powder, confit cherry tomatoes, anchovies, capers, and fresh and dried oregano. Among the stuffed options, the vegan with sautéed chicory, semi-dry cherry tomatoes, and olives and the Mortadella stand out, while the Pomodoro, Burro francese e Parmigiano 60 mesi (tomato, French butter, and 60-month Parmigiano) is a tribute to the famous paccheri pasta of the Da Vittorio restaurant in Brusaporto, a small poem of simple and extraordinary ingredients.
There is no shortage of signature fried dishes: supplì al telefono, supplì all'ossobuco, supplì alla scarola, and crocchetta provola, mortadella, and orange. Appetizers include bruschetta with tomato, basil, and oregano, and two naturally leavened pastries with creative fillings: Pain suisse with veal and tuna sauce and Croissant Cocktail with red shrimp, lettuce, and pink sauce. Finally, the desserts: from Pain au chocolat with zabaglione to artisan panettone with live sourdough, served with seasonal fruit. The wine list, consisting of about fifty labels, is dynamic, with a selection of organic, biodynamic, and natural wines, Franciacorta, and Oltrepò Pavese, as well as a wide choice by the glass.
Success in Milan
The Milanese public welcomed Futura with enthusiasm from the very first days of opening. Luca says: "We are fully booked until the end of December, customers leave satisfied, and many return two or three times a week. The target audience is varied: from young people to couples and seniors. Even fried foods are much more popular than in Rome: novelty attracts those who want to explore, try new things, and be surprised." That's why Futura is not just a pizzeria, but a laboratory where every detail is carefully studied: from the pre-doughs made in the traditional way, to the flours from Italian mills personally selected by Pezzetta, to the experimentation with puff pastry.
With Futura, Milan discovers Roman pizza as an artisan craft, where the balance of flavors and the crispiness of the dough combine with memory and ethics. And so, the opening is not just a gastronomic event, but a small “cultural Big Bang”: an invitation to look at pizza with new eyes, with curiosity and respect for the art of leavened products. Luca Pezzetta brings his world to Milan, made up of authentic flavors, technique, and passion, and he does so without compromise, with rigor, poetry, and a rare ability to excite every customer who crosses the threshold.
Futura Pizzeria Romana
via Pietro Borsieri 28
Phone. 342 140 5728
The restaurant seats 45 indoors and 40 outdoors; open daily from 7:00 p.m. to midnight.
