Padellino pizza has a tall, airy dough baked in an iron or aluminium pan — a different base from classic Neapolitan pizza, built to hold generous toppings. That also makes it a great format for vegan cooking: the thick dough structure supports melted plant-based cheeses, creams and vegetables well, without going soft the way a thin Neapolitan base can.

On Santa's vegan menu in Desenzano del Garda, this technique takes shape in pizzas like the Magritte, with plant-based blue-veined gorgonzola and balsamic-caramelized onions, or the Bosco Veg, with truffle cream and porcini mushrooms — dishes designed from scratch as vegan pizzas, not a "cheese-free version" of a traditional recipe.

The result is a menu where vegan diners don't have to settle for a margherita without mozzarella, but find dishes as elaborate as the traditional menu — enjoyed, as always at Santa, with a view over Lake Garda.

Learn more about Santa's padellino pizza or explore the full vegan menu.