How to Make Margherita Pizza

A slice of margherita pizza lifting up from the parchment paper by a spatula.

How to Make Margherita Pizza

Have a taste of Italy at home with this Margherita pizza recipe. The toppings make this pizza unique Margherita. tomatoes, slices of fresh Mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil create this Italian classic.

Prep Time10

Cook Time12

Total Time22

Servings: slices

Calories: 258kcal

Author: Karin and Ken

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.

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