Enjoy a taste of Italy at home with this easy Margherita pizza recipe. Ripe juicy tomatoes, slices of fresh Mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil are all you need to make this Italian classic.
Most of us grew up with pizza holding a special place in our hearts. Many of us had pizza parties in school, as a special treat for birthdays, and much more. When I think about pizza, I always associate it with extra special times.
This homemade Margherita pizza recipe is the perfect dinner for classic, rustic pizza flavor without a ton of work. It's so easy to make that you don't have to wait for a special occasion to make it.
If you are looking for other homemade pizza recipes, take a look at this easy English muffin pizza and air fryer tortilla pizza. If they don't suit your fancy, try taking a look at this list of summer pizzas or even this one of fall pizzas to find more pizza inspiration.
What is Margherita Pizza?
The Margherita pizza is a variation of Neopolitan-style pizza. Neopolitan pizzas are flat and are characterized by their simple ingredients. Although they can include many different toppings, at their core, every pizza of this type uses Italian tomatoes and quality sliced Italian mozzarella cheese.
The Margherita pizza recipe only adds one ingredient to this basic recipe - basil. It's one of the simplest Neopolitan pizza variations.
Why You Will Love This Pizza Margherita Recipe
- Simplicity at Its Best. Classic pizza flavors shine through in each bite!
- Family Friendly Meal. Kids love this dish but adults will too!
- Vegetarian Favorite. This meatless pizza is a great way to introduce some meatless dishes to your family without them even realizing it!
- Easy Ingredients. You don't need much to make this great-tasting pizza.
Ingredients
Don't be intimidated by the list of ingredients for this pizza. What you don't already have in your pantry, you can find at the grocery store. The real key is to use quality ingredients - the best you can get.
- Pizza Dough: This pizza is best with a thin-crust pizza dough. You can either pick up the dough at the store or make it homemade. To save time you can even use a pre-baked crust!
- Fresh Tomato: Use Roma or Italian Plum Tomatoes for the best flavor.
- Tomato Sauce and Tomato Paste: Combine to give your slice great tomato flavor. You can also use your favorite store-bought pizza sauce instead.
- Seasoning: Fresh garlic, Italian seasoning, onion, powder, and red pepper flakes add flavor.
- Olive Oil: Olive oil is ideal!
- Fresh Mozzarella Packed in Water: Find high-quality Italian mozzarella cheese in the specialty cheese section of the store. You don’t have to use Italian mozzarella cheese but for the best flavor, I recommend it.
- Fresh Basil Leaves: Fresh basil is key! Dried basil can be used instead but the flavor is quite different. If you can get it, fresh basil is truly best for this recipe.
Substitutions and Variations
Don't have the correct ingredients on hand? Or want to change something up? Here are some helpful tips for you to change this Margherita Pizza recipe.
- Add Meat: Add just a little bit of cooked bacon, sliced pepperoni, cooked sausage, or salami slices.
- Add Vegetables: Try adding some sauteed mushrooms, onions, and peppers on top.
- Add Parmesan: For a change sprinkle some freshly grated parmesan cheese on top of the sauce before topping or directly on top of the cooked pizza right before serving. I recommend a high-quality Parmigiano-Reggiano for the most authentic flavor.
How to Make Margherita Pizza
Here are step-by-step photos and instructions for making this delicious homemade Margherita Pizza. For complete instructions, see the printable recipe card at the bottom of this page.
- Spread the pizza dough out on a parchment-lined baking sheet, shaping it into a 12-inch round pizza crust.
- Pre-bake the crust in your preheated oven for 6 minutes or until it turns golden brown. Brush the baked crust with olive oil.
- Combine the tomato sauce, tomato paste, garlic, Italian seasoning, onion powder, salt, and red pepper flakes in a medium bowl.
- Stir together until well mixed and set aside.
- Slice a tomato into ½-inch slices and the mozzarella into 2-inch round slices.
- Spread your tomato sauce around evenly almost to the edge of the pizza crust.
- Top the crust with the tomato slices, mozzarella, and basil.
- Bake in your oven for an additional 6 minutes or until the toppings are baked and the cheese is melted.
If you love this Italian recipe you might also enjoy copycat Olive Garden meatballs, Homemade Pizza Rolls in the Air Fryer, Tomato Bruschetta, Texas Toast Pizza or Pizza Chicken.
Storage
- Refrigerator: Keep leftover pizza in a resealable bag in your refrigerator for two or three days.
- Freezer: Place the slices in an airtight container and freeze for up to three months.
- Reheat: For best results reheat leftover pizza in the oven on a baking sheet or a pizza stone at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. You can also microwave individual servings to reheat it but it won't be as crisp.
Serving Suggestions
I love to serve a nice green salad or this cucumber salad with this pizza! I can't ever forget dessert! How about these easy chunky monkey bars? They go with anything.
If you're looking for more inspiration check out this collection of What to Serve with Pizza and What to Serve with Pizza at a Party. There are lots of my favorite things to serve with pizza and they are both definitely worth a look.
Tips
- Crispiest Crust. You want your pizza dough to be very thin. In fact, your dough should be so thin that you can almost see through it, although a bit thicker at the edges is perfectly fine.
- Dry Your Mozzarella. When using water-packed mozzarella cheese, be sure to thoroughly pat it down with paper towels so you remove as much moisture as possible. This prevents excess moisture from creating a soggy crust.
- Don't Overdo the Sauce. Less is more when it comes to the sauce. This rustic-style Margherita pizza only needs a very thin layer of sauce. This keeps the flavors balanced and your crust crispy. A heavy layer of sauce will make your crust soggy.
FAQ
Do you have questions about this Margherita Pizza recipe? Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about it.
Partially bake your crust before adding the toppings and make sure you don't overdo the sauce or toppings which can weigh it down and make it soggier. Also, make sure your toppings are dry!
A thinner crust is preferred but if you prefer a thick crust you will need to bake the pizza a bit longer to fully cook the dough. Don't skip par-baking the crust. This will help prevent cooking the toppings for more time to fully cook the crust.
Other Pizza Recipes to Try
Do you like pizza? Here are some recipes you may also like to try.
Ready to get cooking? Remember that you can print this recipe if you would like.
How to Make Margherita Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 medium premade thin crust pizza dough
- 1 large tomato
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella packed in water
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Preheat your oven according to the pizza crust instructions. (mine was preheated to 400 degrees) and line a flat baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl combine tomato sauce, tomato paste, garlic, Italian seasoning, onion powder, salt, and red pepper flakes until well mixed and set aside.
- Slice a tomato into ½ inch slices and slice mozzarella into 2 inch round balls, they do not have to be perfectly round, and set aside.
- On your parchment paper lined baking sheet, spread pizza dough out into a 12 inch round pizza crust.
- Pre bake the crust in your pre heated oven for 6 minutes or until it's starting to turn golden brown. Once your crust is pre baked, brush it with olive oil and spread your tomato sauce around evenly almost to the edge of the pizza crust.
- Top with tomato slices, mozzarella, and basil. Then bake in your oven for an additional 6 minutes or until the toppings are baked and the cheese is melted.
- Slice the pizza into 8 pieces and serve warm.
Notes
- Crispiest Crust. You want your pizza dough to be very thin. In fact, your dough should be so thin that you can almost see through it, although a bit thicker at the edges is perfectly fine.
- Dry Your Mozzarella. When using water-packed mozzarella cheese, be sure to thoroughly pat it down with paper towels so you remove as much moisture as possible. This prevents excess moisture from creating a soggy crust.
- Don't Overdo the Sauce. Less is more when it comes to the sauce. This rustic-style Margherita pizza only needs a very thin layer of sauce. This keeps the flavors balanced and your crust crispy. A heavy layer of sauce will make your crust soggy.
Nutrition
This post was originally published in August 2022. It has been updated with new images and content.
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