Traditional Margherita Pizza Recipe

A Margherita Pizza is a classic type of pizza, named in honor of Margherita of Savoy who, on a visit to Naples, was presented with a pizza topped with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil. The colors of the items – white, red, and green – are meant to represent the Italian flag. It is also considered one of the first pizzas to feature melted cheese.

Although the margherita pizza recipe doesn’t feature tomato sauce, an ingredient the average person associates with pizza, it’s a delightful twist and a perfect way to impress a new date, or to simply shake pizza night up a bit.

A margherita pizza is incredibly simple to make and requires only the bare minimum of ingredients, many of which you probably already have in your home. To start, you need the following ingredients:

Pizza crust
Fresh basil
Fresh mozzarella cheese
Two medium-sized tomatoes
Extra virgin olive oil

Additional ingredients that can enhance the flavor of the pizza include fresh garlic, salt and pepper, and parmesan cheese. These, however, are not necessary.

To start, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Take your pizza crust – you can use either a pre-made crust such as Boboli or make the dough yourself – and lightly cover it in extra virgin olive oil. Use a brush to ensure it gets spread evenly across the entire crust. After this, place finely chopped-up fresh garlic on the dough over the olive oil.  

Take the mozzarella, thinly sliced from a fresh block, and disperse evenly on top of the garlic on the crust. Top the mozzarella with thinly sliced tomatoes so they cover the entirety of the crust, topping the tomatoes themselves with salt and pepper for a bit of added flavor. Take the fresh basil leaves and place over the tomatoes and cheese.

Once the pizza is topped to your liking, toss that sucker into the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and the crust is crispy. Top with parmesan cheese, or, for a spicier flavor, some fresh red pepper flakes, and enjoy!

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