Classic Margherita Pizza

Name: Classic Margherita Pizza
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1/4 recipe homemade pizza crust ((<< that link is to my homemade pizza dough))); 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil; 2 tablespoons marinara sauce ((<< that link is to my homemade sauce)); 1 clove garlic (, minced); 3 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese (, sliced into 1/4-inch thick pieces); 1 Roma tomato (, sliced); 2 large basil leaves (, sliced into ribbons); freshly ground black pepper

By Amy Flanigan

Updated Oct 11, 2020

Read 9 Reviews

Prep 15

Cook 10

Servings 1 (8-inch pizza)

By Amy Flanigan

Updated Oct 11, 2020

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Are you ready for the best Classic Margherita Pizza? This homemade Italian recipe features an easy pizza dough topped with traditional ingredients, including a fresh marinara sauce. It is seriously simple and absolutely delicious!

overhead homemade margherita pizza on parchment paper

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Sometimes I like to pile my pizza high with tons of toppings. Other times, I like the simple route, with only a few. And once again, the Italians prove that less is definitely more when it comes to the classic Margherita pizza. And you just can’t beat it.

What is Margherita Pizza?

Pizza Margherita (pronounced mahr-geh-ree-tah) is basically a Neapolitan pizza, typically made with tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, garlic, fresh basil, and extra-virgin olive oil. I think of it as a sophisticated version of your basic cheese pizza and also a wonderful Caprese salad, but with a crust. It’s so easy to make!

picture of cooked Classic Margherita pizza

What’s on a Margherita Pizza

There’s only a short list of ingredients to this simple pizza, so use the freshest, best quality, so every single one shines.

Homemade Pizza Dough – this is the base of your pizza, obviously, and where the greatnesses starts. I use my go-to pizza dough recipe << That recipe has been pinned more than 7 million times and has tons of 5-star reviews from people who have made it! It really is the best foolproof pizza dough.
Homemade Marinara Sauce – this homemade marinara sauce is my favorite. It’s simple, sweet, and strikes a perfect balance with the other ingredients. But use your favorite.
Tomatoes – I usually stick with Roma tomatoes, but really any variety work here. I do prefer smaller tomatoes to larger ones, since they contain less water. Garden fresh are the best!
Fresh Mozzarella Cheese – you want fresh balled mozzarella that you slice, not the shredded packaged kind.
Fresh Basil – this is roughly chopped or julienned and gets sprinkled on after the pizza comes out of the oven, not before!
Garlic – for absolute best flavor, use fresh garlic.
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil – this just lightly coats the pizza dough.

I also add a few grinds of freshly cracked black pepper, which gives it a nice finishing touch, but that is optional.

How To Make Margherita Pizza

Before you get started, make sure you use the best homemade pizza dough! << That recipe is quick and easy, tried and true!

Place a pizza stone in the oven. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F, allowing the stone to get hot.
Shape the pizza dough on a floured surface into an 8-inch round, making it 1/4-inch thick. Transfer it to a pizza peel lined with parchment paper. Reshape if necessary.
Gently brush the dough with the olive oil, then evenly spread the marinara sauce on, leaving a 1-inch border around the edge. Sprinkle the garlic over the top. Top with the mozzarella slices and tomatoes, leaving space in between.
Slide the parchment with the crust onto the heated stone. Bake for 8-10 minutes until crust is golden and cheese is melted and bubbly.
Remove from oven and sprinkle the basil over the top, along with 1-2 grinds of fresh black pepper.
Cut into wedges and serve immediately.

Cooking Tips to make the best Margherita Pizza

Bake your pizza in a very hot oven (generally 500-550 degrees F.)
Use a good, heavy, baking stone or steel. They hold tons of heat energy, releasing it quickly into a pizza as it bakes, giving it a crispier crust.
The better the ingredients, the better the pizza. The fresh sauce, coupled with fresh mozzarella and basil are going to make the flavors of this pizza sing.

long pin for homemade Margherita Pizza recipe

Purists, no need to chime in. I don’t claim this to be authentic – I think I read that you’re supposed to mix the olive oil with the garlic and let the flavors infuse for 15 minutes, and only use tomatoes that are in season, and the basil leaves should be kept whole, and blah blah blah… HA.

But this is the way I make it. The basics are kept intact and it’s still absolutely delicious!

Watch the video for Margherita Pizza

If you’re looking for some fun pizza variation in your life, check out this Dessert Fruit Pizza and this Spinach Artichoke French Bread Pizza – both different and delicious!

I hope you love this delicious and simple recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!

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