Sometimes the simplest can be the best which is quite possibly the case with pizzas. Sure you can go all out with your pizza toppings but there is something magical about a simple pizza topped with a good tomato sauce, mozzarella and some fresh basil! I already had my pizza dough so the next step was the tomato sauce and adhering to the keep it simple theme, I went with a sauce that was seasoned with some garlic and oregano. If tomatoes had been in season I would have gone with fresh vine ripened tomatoes but canned works well in the winter. For the cheese, you can go either with a ball of fresh mozzarella or you can go with a grated harder mozzarella. When it comes to the basil you could easily mix it in with the tomato sauce but I like to preserve the freshness of it so I add it after pulling the pizza out of the oven. This pizza margherita certainly brought me back to my vacation in Italy and I am glad that I can reproduce some of those amazing pizzas at home!
Pizza Margherita
(makes 1 13 inch pizza)Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
1 thin crust pizza dough
1/2 cup pizza sauce (see below)
1 ball fresh mozzarella (sliced 1/4 inch thick)
a handful basil leaves
1 thin crust pizza dough
1/2 cup pizza sauce (see below)
1 ball fresh mozzarella (sliced 1/4 inch thick)
a handful basil leaves
Directions:
1. Roll the dough out very thinly on a lightly floured surface.
2. Poke the dough with a fork all over.
3. Place the dough on a pan and bake in a preheated 500F oven until it just starts to turn golden brown, about 4 minutes.
4. Pull the pizza out of the oven and top with the pizza sauce and mozzarella.
5. Bake in the 500F oven until the edges are golden brown and the cheese has melted, about 5 minutes.
6. Top with basil and enjoy.
1. Roll the dough out very thinly on a lightly floured surface.
2. Poke the dough with a fork all over.
3. Place the dough on a pan and bake in a preheated 500F oven until it just starts to turn golden brown, about 4 minutes.
4. Pull the pizza out of the oven and top with the pizza sauce and mozzarella.
5. Bake in the 500F oven until the edges are golden brown and the cheese has melted, about 5 minutes.
6. Top with basil and enjoy.
Pizza Sauce
(makes 2 cups)Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil.
1 clove garlic (chopped)
1 (14 ounce) can tomatoes (pureed)
1/2 teaspoon oregano
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil.
1 clove garlic (chopped)
1 (14 ounce) can tomatoes (pureed)
1/2 teaspoon oregano
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a sauce pan.
2. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
3. Add everything else and simmer until it thickens, about 20 minutes.
1. Heat the oil in a sauce pan.
2. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
3. Add everything else and simmer until it thickens, about 20 minutes.
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