Nothing excites the taste buds more than this fresh-from-the-oven, homemade Italian Margherita Pizza Recipe!
That savory blend of tomato sauce, cheese, and fresh herbs, baked onto a chewy flatbread pizza crust— how I miss my days in Italia! Now you can make your own authentic, homemade Margherita pizza with this easy to follow recipe! Real good!
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I Love Margherita Pizza!
When in Rome, do as the Romans do…and I did! I couldn’t get enough of this Italian classic! Every day I had pizza. Leftovers? Hardly! The origin of Margherita pizza is that a French royal was visiting Naples and was tired of the rich, gourmet French food. So, this simple pie was created and named after her and it’s been world-famous ever since! It’s not called “pizza margarita” although feel free to serve margaritas with a Margherita pizza!
What’s on a Margherita Pizza?
One of the best things about this pizza is that the Margherita toppings are few but fresh.
DOUGH We chose pre-made pizza dough to save time, or you can make homemade pizza dough, and use half the recipe (it freezes great for future pizza dates)!
SAUCE Margherita pizza sauce is a simple, tomato-based sauce that is lightly seasoned with balsamic vinegar, and a hint of garlic. It should be light and fresh as to not overwhelm the flavors of the toppings.
CHEESE The cheese is the real star here, so splurge on the best fresh mozzarella, and a wedge of parmesan that you can grate yourself once the pizza comes out of the oven.
VEGGIES Fresh basil leaves are one of the distinguishing features of a traditional Margherita pizza as are the tomatoes, so choose leaves that are bright green, whole, and unblemished.
OPTIONAL ADDITIONS Although Margherita pizzas are traditionally vegetarian, some people like meat on their pizzas. We like thin slices of Capicola because the flavor won’t overwhelm the other toppings.
How to Make Margherita Pizza
This recipe comes out crispy and perfect, just follow our recipe at the bottom of this post! The basic steps are easy:
- Roll out pizza dough, brush with olive oil. PRO TIP: REAL Italian pizza is rarely shaped into a perfect circle. Be autentico!
- Bake on preheated stone until bottom is browned. Remove from oven and flip pizza over so the browned side is facing up (this is what makes it crispy)!
- Spread pizza sauce. Sprinkle on garlic powder and arrange slices of mozzarella on top. Sprinkle oregano over the cheese.
- Bake until the cheese is melted. Remove pizza from the oven and allow to rest. Add the toppings, slice, and serve!
PRO TIP: Frozen cauliflower pizza crusts are available for those on low carb or keto diets! Just follow the recipe below starting at step 5.
Leftovers?
Yah right! But if you do have any, simply cover with plastic wrap or in an airtight container and refrigerate for 3-4 days.
To reheat, you can simply place back in a hot oven to warm and crisp up the crust.
Other Delicious Recipes To Try!
- Homemade Pizza Dough
- Spinach Lasagna
- Italian Meatballs
- Open Faced Roast Beef Sandwich
- Chicken Parmesan With Spaghetti Squash
Homemade Margherita Pizza
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ recipe pizza dough or storebought pizza dough
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup pizza sauce
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 5 slices fresh mozzarella cheese ⅛" thick
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ⅓ grape tomatoes halved (or cherry tomatoes)
- 12 fresh basil leaves
- parmesan cheese garnish, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven with a pizza stone to 450°F.
- Sprinkle flour on the work area and roll pizza dough until about ¼” thick (I usually try for a circle, but any shape will work). Brush both sides with olive oil.
- Place pizza crust on the hot pizza stone. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until browned on the bottom.
- Remove crust from oven, flip over so that the brown bottom is on top, and place on work surface.
- Spread with pizza sauce, leaving a ½” edge. Sprinkle with garlic powder, arrange cheese on top, and sprinkle with oregano.
- Bake for 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
- Allow to rest 5 minutes before slicing. Top with tomatoes and basil leaves. Garnish with parmesan cheese if desired and serve.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information does not include optional ingredients or garnish and is an estimate. It may change based on actual ingredients and cooking methods used.
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