This Margherita Pizza is going to be a hit for sure! You’ll get a pretty thin crust topped with a delicious garlic tomato sauce, lots of fresh mozzarellas, and lots of fresh basil. That’s how you make pizza!
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 14 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 5
Ingredients
With 1 lb. Dough for pizza, store-bought or homemade*
2 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons of minced garlic (2 cloves)
1 2/3 cups of canned tomatoes (and juices) from San Marzano, finely hand-crushed
2 pincers of salt
8 of an oz. Chopped into 3/4-inch cubes, fresh mozzarella
1/4 cup Small basil leaves or chopped basil ribbons
Instructions
1. Heat the oven to 550 degrees and place a pizza stone in the oven. Let it rest for at least 45 – 60 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Add garlic and saute just until lightly golden brown, about 20 seconds.
3. Add in tomatoes, season with salt, and bring to a light boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until reduced and thickened to nearly 1 cup, about 15 – 20 minutes.
4. Divide dough into 2 equal portions. Note that only one pizza could be able to bake at a time.
5. Stretch and shape into an oval concerning 13-inches long, working with one piece of dough at a time.
6. Lay yourself on a well-flowered peel of pizza. Sprinkle with half the mozzarella and spread about 1/2 cup of sauce over one crust.
7. Slide pizza from pizza peel to preheated pizza stone quickly and carefully and bake until the crust is golden brown and about 4 – 7 minutes of cheese is melted.
8. Repeat with the crust that remains. Sprinkle fresh basil on the pizzas, cut them into slices, and serve immediately while warm.
9. Let it reach room temperature before shaping if you use store-bought pizza dough.
Recipe by Cooking Classy
Note:
Most recipes just use the tomatoes directly from the can, but for a more concentrated flavor, I like to simmer them and reduce some of the excess liquid, and so there is no soggy crust. I also add to the sauce extra virgin olive oil and garlic, which is also not so common. However, why wouldn’t we add it? More flavor!