Tomatoes, fresh basil with mozzarella cheese…the Margherita pizza is in a class of its own! This post will show you how to create the healthiest, tastiest, BEST homemade Margherita pizza.
For best results, make your own homemade pizza dough (this one is simple, with 5 ingredients and no yeast!) You can use this dough with any pizza you want including this chicken marinara pizza, this chicken alfredo pizza, or this bbq chicken pizza.
Have you ever wondered why it's called a Margherita Pizza? The other night, my mother-in-law and I decided to look it up.
Here's what we discovered:
In the 19th century, the King of Italy, and his wife, Queen Margherita di Savoia, noticed peasants in Naples eating a large flat bread covered with tomato paste and tomatoes.
The curious queen called for Chef Rafaelle, the most popular of the pizza chefs in Naples, and ordered him to prepare his specialties...
Her favorite? The one with mozzarella, basil, and tomatoes. Yup, the Margherita Pizza is named after a queen!
In This Post You'll Find:
Reasons You'll Love It
- Cheaper than eating out & fun to make your own pizza.
- Delicious fresh Ingredients.
- Best Margherita Pizza.
- Simple pizza with a lot flavor.
Ingredient Notes
Pizza Dough: When I am making pizza at home, I almost always use this pizza dough recipe. But, in a pinch, you can really use whatever dough you like.
Fresh Mozzarella: The higher quality and fresher mozzarella you can find, the better. It's a real game changer. Fresh mozzarella is great because it gives you that perfect bubbling melt and it's also super tasty.
Tomatoes: I use Roma tomatoes for this, but if you want the sauce to be a little sweeter, you could use San Marzano tomatoes.
Basil: I always use fresh basil when I can. It's super easy to grow and one plant produces plenty for our family - so if you can plant your own basil at home, it's the gift that keeps giving. You can always grab it at the store -- just go for the fresh stuff.
What's The Difference Between A Margherita Pizza And A Regular Cheese Pizza?
A Margherita pizza is quite different from a regular cheese pizza because of the fresh ingredients. A cheese pizza includes cheese over the sauce and nothing else. But with a Margherita pizza, you get fresh and flavorful toppings, like tomatoes, sliced mozzarella, basil, and extra virgin olive oil.
Read on for how to make this extra tasty homemade pizza recipe, paired wonderfully with your favorite salad. And don't worry, no baking stone is no big deal. An upside down sheet pan works just great as a pizza pan.
How To Make A Margherita Pizza
Step 1: Heat oven to 450 degrees F.
Step 2: Drain tomatoes and puree in a food processor this will give it that smooth texture. Add olive oil, oregano dried basil, salt and pepper and pulse to combine.
A simple tomato sauce makes for the best Margherita pizza (I've experimented quite a bit to find the perfect flavor and texture).
Step 3: Spread sauce over pizza dough, leaving a ½-inch border around the edge for the crust.
Step 4: Bake pizza for 8-10 minutes until cheese is melted and the crust begins to turn golden brown. Remove from oven.
Step 5: Toss fresh basil over cooked pizza and let sit for 3-5 minutes. Slice and serve.
How Do I Store My Pizza?
Pizza is best stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. This keeps it dry - but not too dry - and it won't get soggy. I know some people suggest wrapping the slices up in a bed of foil, but I noticed that it gets too moist.
How To Reheat The Pizza To Keep It Crunchy
The stovetop reheating method will get your pizza crunchy the next day. Never heard of it? It's actually one of the quickest ways to mimic the hearty benefits of an oven without overdoing it. Here's what you'll do:
- Heat the pan over medium heat and add a drizzle of water, to cover it.
- After a few minutes add the leftover pizza slices and allow it to cook for a bit before you drizzle more water on the side of the pan.
- Cover the skillet immediately! This traps the steam and heats up your toppings.
This technique will (mostly) recreate the crispiness you get from a freshly baked pizza.
More Healthy Pizza Recipes
If you would like to add more pizza options to your repertoire, here are some you'll surely enjoy. Grab your pizza stone and try one!
- Chicken Alfredo Pizza with Spinach and Red Onions
- Italian Sausage and Pepperoni Pizza
- Best BBQ Chicken Pizza
- Fennel Sausage Pizza | With A Decadent White Sauce
This post contains affiliate links for products I use regularly and highly recommend.
Pizza Margherita
Equipment
- 1 Pizza Stone Can also use sheet pan
*This post may contain affiliate links for products I use often and highly recommend.
Ingredients
- pizza crust/dough see recipe here
- 1 14-oz can can whole peeled tomatoes not including juices
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2-3 Roma tomatoes thinly sliced
- 7-8 oz fresh mozzarella thinly sliced
- 1 oz fresh basil leaves torn into pieces
Instructions
- Heat oven to 450 degrees F.
- Drain tomatoes and puree in a food processor (or blender). Add olive oil, oregano dried basil, salt and pepper and pulse to combine.
- Spread sauce over pizza dough, leaving a ½-inch border around the edge for the crust. Create a layer of the thinly sliced tomatoes over the sauce. Line the sliced mozzarella over the tomatoes.
- Bake pizza for 8-10 minutes until cheese is melted and the crust begins to turn golden brown. Remove from oven.
- Toss fresh basil over cooked pizza and let sit for 3-5 minutes. Slice and serve.
Recipes Notes:
- I used a pizza paddle and pizza stone to make the pizza. If you plan to use one make sure that you add corn meal to the bottom of the paddle to allow it to move freely. If you don't have a paddle no worries, you can flip your baking sheet the other way around instead.
- I stretched the dough into an 11 ½ to 12 ½ inch round, maybe ⅛ to ¼ inch thick which you are free to adjust based on your preference.
Nutrition
Is a Margherita Pizza Vegan?
If you make a Margherita pizza at home, you can easily make it vegan! Simply replace your cheese with a non-dairy substitute. There are so many vegan cheese options in the market now compared to several years ago. I personally like mozzarella cashew, but don't hesitate to explore.
Dustin
Another pizza recipe we should update
Lacey Baier
Done and done! 🙂
Jasmine
I was living in Reno and was having dinner with some friends at a restaurant known for it's wide selection of brick oven pizzas but had lots of other good food and had a waitress that was eastern European (Ukrainian maybe?). She took my order for my food and then asked what I wanted to drink. I said, "A margarita".
"But what do you want to drink?"
"A margarita"
"I have your pizza, what about a drink?"
She had never even heard of the drink. Pizza is delicious.
Lacee
Hi, I am in LOVE with this kind of pizza. I have made it so many times for my family. I will be sure to try this recipe next time I'm making it. Thank you 🙂
Oh by the way, very cool name hahaha.
Patti
I made this for my roommates one night, and they loved it! I added thinly sliced garlic for a kick! It was my first time making pizza and I'm glad your recipe is really simple and delicious. (I cheated a little by buying pre-made pizza dough, but i want to try making my own next time). I highly recommend this to first time pizza makers and everyone who enjoys a simple good meal!
lacey - a sweet pea chef
I'm glad you all enjoyed the pizza, Patti! Thanks for the review 🙂
Tessa
Beautiful photos and thank you for the history lesson!
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Haha! You're welcome, Tessa 🙂
Laura
Yummy! looks delicious! i love pizza! thanks for the recipe and the short story that goes with it. gotta try it this weekend! 😀
lacey - a sweet pea chef
You're very welcome. Enjoy!
Miss Becky
wow, that looks delicious. I did not know that Naples is the pizza capitol of the world. now I do. thanks Lacey! happy day to you.
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Thanks, Miss Becky! It was news to me as well 🙂