Once you have the basics down – namely a foolproof dough recipe – pizza can be as simple or intricate as you make it. Consider yourself a purist? Dollop on a rich marinara sauce and some fresh mozzarella and you're guaranteed a delicious time. But with all manner of sauces, from classic tomato to white to barbecue to pesto, and the world's larder to choose from when it comes to toppings, there shouldn't be any limit to pizza creativity as far as we're concerned.

The recipes below prove just that – they're loaded with fantastic ingredients and fun combinations that we hope you'll be thinking about for some time after. They are just six of our ultimate pizza recipes, ones that are fantastic if you're dining solo but even better if you're feeding a crowd and want to impress. If you happen to have a pizza oven to hand, fire it up – if you don't, the recipes can be made in a regular oven preheated at its highest setting for an hour. The pizza will take about ten to fifteen minutes to cook. And if you're looking to refresh yourself on the basics, don't miss our guide to making pizza here.

Ham and pineapple is the most divisive pizza around, but this next-level upgrade will win over even the biggest of sceptics. Traditional ham is swapped for sweet and buttery pork belly, which we've paired with sweet, sticky, caramelised pineapple. The pizza is served with whipped gochujang butter, a decadent and lightly spiced dip.

Like your pizzas stripped back? Look away now. This number is loaded with rich gorgonzola, mortadella, gooey and spicy cured egg yolk and, if that wasn't enough, confit garlic. It's salty, savoury and incredibly moreish – you won't be able to stop at one slice.

This showstopper of a pizza is a brilliant one to serve if you're having friends over. The sourdough crust is given a dramatic twist with squid ink, before being topped with crispy deep-fried octopus, tart capers and plenty of tartar sauce for dipping. A plain margherita it is not, but it is a recipe we're confident you'll be coming back to.

This summery pizza has a vibrant yellow base made from yellow courgettes, and is topped with crispy courgette fritti and creamy goat’s cheese, a seriously satisfying combination. It's finished with a chipotle chilli chutney, giving an acidity and heat that brings the whole pie together.

What's better than a pizza crust dipped in sauce? A stuffed one, of course – in this case, filled with gooey mozzarella and tart kimchi. The pizza itself is topped with sweet and sticky soy-glazed beef and hot honey (the condiment of the moment – you can learn all about it here) in a truly maximalist recipe which is brimming with big flavours.

Chunks of browned hot Italian sausage and sweet caramelised onion make the perfect pair on top of this sweet, spicy and incredibly savoury pizza. If you can't track down the spicy Italian sausage, you can swap it for a regular version and add in some chilli flakes.

Have your sights set on becoming a pizza maestro? Don't miss our lowdown on the different styles of slice.