This Margherita pizza combines homemade pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil for the ultimate tantalizing taste experience. Enjoy it with a chopped Italian salad or copycat Olive Garden salad.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients.
- Pizza dough: Grocery stores and bakeries sell ready-made pizza dough. You can also use premade refrigerated pizza crust or make homemade pizza dough.
- Crushed tomatoes: Quality does matter. Use high-quality brands like Muir Glen or Cento.
- Mozzarella: Use low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella for the best melt without making the pizza dough soggy.
- Basil: Use fresh basil for the ultimate flavor.
- Parmesan cheese: Freshly shaved or grated for the best flavor and melt.
How To Make Margherita Pizza
This is a summary; for the complete list of ingredients and instructions, see the recipe card below.
- Remove the pizza dough from the fridge and place it in a bowl lightly brushed with olive oil. Cover and let it rest for about 2 hours.
- Cook the garlic and oregano in a little olive oil on the stovetop over low heat for about a minute. Stir in the crushed tomatoes.
- Pat out the pizza dough, dock it, and prebake for 6-7 minutes.
- Spread the pizza sauce over the prebaked crust.
- Top with mozzarella slices and bake.
- Sprinkle with basil ribbons, shaved Parmesan cheese, and, if desired, crushed red pepper.
Culinary Tips
- Let the pizza dough come to room temperature for 1-2 hours to relax the gluten. It makes the dough easier to pat out and stretch without snapping back. For safety, do not let it sit out for more than 4 hours.
- After patting out the pizza dough, poke it well with a table fork. This process is known as docking.
- Always prebake the crust for this pizza.
- To make basil ribbons, stack the basil leaves and gently roll them into a cylinder, cigar shape. Now, using a sharp knife, slice them extra thin crosswise.
- Let the pizza cool for 5-10 minutes before cutting so the ingredients don’t slide, and you don’t burn yourself. A really hot pizza can burn the roof of your mouth or your throat and spoil your meal.
More Pizza Recipes
Margherita Pizza
This Margherita pizza combines a homemade pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil for the ultimate tantalizing taste experience.
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Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 278kcal
Ingredients
- 1 lb pizza dough
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves crushed garlic
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 ½ cups crushed tomatoes
- Salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- ½ tablespoon cornmeal
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella
- Basil leaves sliced into ribbons
- ¼ cup freshly shaved parmesan
- Red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- Remove the pizza dough from the fridge and place it in a bowl lightly brushed with olive oil. Cover and let it rest for about 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Preheat a 12-inch pizza stone in the oven.
- Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over low heat. Cook the garlic and oregano for 1 minute, while stirring. Stir in the crushed tomatoes. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Simmer for a few minutes while you work the pizza dough.
- Spread the cornmeal on a clean work surface. Pat out the pizza dough. Carefully move it to the preheated stone, dock it, and prebake for 6-7 minutes.
- Spread the pizza sauce over the prebaked crust. Top with mozzarella slices.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden brown.
- Sprinkle with basil ribbons, shaved Parmesan cheese, and, if desired, crushed red pepper.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Reheat in a covered skillet over medium-low heat for 6-7 minutes on the stovetop.
Nutrition
Calories: 278kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 698mg | Potassium: 164mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 316IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 199mg | Iron: 2mg
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