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Margherita pizza on a cutting board.
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Margherita Pizza

Outside of Italy, the best Margherita Pizza may be in your own kitchen. This classic Naples style pizza uses only a handful of the best ingredients: tomato, mozzarella, and fresh basil. Perfetto!
Course Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 7 minutes
Cook Time 23 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 489kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 pound pizza dough at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup pizza sauce (see notes) or store-bought
  • 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese diced
  • 2 Roma tomatoes thinly sliced (see notes)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Salt
  • 8-10 small basil leaves or 5 large leaves, chiffonade

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Brush an ovenproof skillet with oil.
  • On a floured work surface, roll out dough until circumference matches your skillet. Transfer to skillet.
  • Leaving a 1/2" border for crust, spread pizza sauce onto dough. Top with mozzarella cheese and tomato slices.
  • Brush crust with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake until crust is crispy and cheese is melty, 23 to 25 minutes.
  • Garnish with fresh basil before serving.

Notes

Homemade Pizza Sauce
Ingredients:
    • 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 clove garlic peeled and smashed
    • 1 (8 ounce) can high-quality tomato sauce
    • 1/2 teaspoon sugar (optional)
    • Pinch dried basil
    • Pinch dried oregano
    • Pinch salt
Instructions:
  1. Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add garlic and sauté until browned, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove garlic and discard.
  2. Stir in tomato sauce, sugar (if using), basil, oregano, and salt. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until flavors have blended, about 10 minutes. Keep warm over low-heat until serving time, or cool completely and store covered in the refrigerator.
Roma tomatoes: I like to use roma tomatoes because they generally have less liquid inside overall (compared to juicy, vine-ripened tomatoes). The juicier the tomato, the more likely your pizza will be watery on top.

Nutrition

Calories: 489kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 1257mg | Potassium: 170mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 750IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 293mg | Iron: 4mg