Sometimes simple ingredients make the best food and it is definitely true with this Margherita pizza!
What is margherita pizza?
How did Margherita Pizza get its name and what is Margherita Pizza? The story is told about the best pizza maker of the 19th century. His name was Raffaele Esposito.
He made a tomato and mozzarella pizza (tomato, olive oil, mozzarella, and basil) in honor of Queen Margherita.
The toppings were the colors of the Italian flag.
The Queen liked it so much that in the late 1800’s she sent a written compliment and thank you to Esposito.
He was flattered and named his new culinary creation after her. Since then it has been called “Pizza Margherita”.
Don’t confuse Margherita and Margarita!
Don’t confuse Margherita and Margarita. A Margarita is a cocktail made with tequila and citrus fruit juice.
There are many stories floating around about how the margarita drink got it’s name, but no one knows the exact origin. Many are trying to take credit.
But we do know that Margherita is a pizza and that this spelling came from the story of Queen Margherita.
store bought vs homemade pizza crust
Both premade and homemade pizza crusts work well with Margherita pizza. We like to use the Boboli brand pizza crust. It’s easy, premade, and delicious.
This recipe is very easy with a store bought crust. Simply layer on the sauce and toppings and place it in the oven. We like the convenience of the store bought crust. But nothing can take the place of homemade pizza dough. It’s always a winner if you have the time to make it.
We have a favorite deep dish pizza crust if you would like to make your own. Homemade Pan Pizza crust is the perfect homemade pizza crust for Margherita Pizza.
how to make Margherita pizza
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Place pizza crust on a pizza pan or cookie sheet.
- Top the pizza crust with sauce, cheese, tomato and basil leaves.
- Drizzle olive oil on top and sprinkle salt and pepper on top to taste.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until the crust and cheese start to turn golden.
a secret tip about Margherita pizza
We love to load regular pizza with so many toppings. We love a big thick slice of combination pizza or meat lovers pizza. But the secret to a perfect Margherita Pizza is “less is best” when it comes to your toppings.
You want to be able to taste all of the toppings separately in each delicious bite. You will be able to taste all the delicious flavors when you don’t overload it.
We recently tried Margherita Pizza at a restaurant and we were skeptical at first.
After we tasted it, it became one of our immediate favorites. It’s so different than traditional pizza that is loaded with toppings. The Margherita pizza is bursting with the delicious combo of fresh flavors.
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items needed for this recipe:
Pizza Cutter: This pizza cutter wheel is our favorite for slicing pizza. We love the protective blade cover for the kids.
Pizza Pan: One of our favorite non stick pizza pans and it’s budget friendly too.
Oven Mitt: A favorite oven mitt that is extra long. Great for baking and cooking.
looking for more delicious pizza recipes? check these out:
- Spinach Artichoke Pizza
- BBQ Philly Cheesesteak Pizza
- Chicken Mushroom Pizza
- Chicken Cordon Bleu French Bread Pizza
- Copycat Papa John’s Pizza
Margherita Pizza Recipe
Ingredients
- 14 ounces pre made pizza crust, 1 package
- 10 ounces pureed sun dried tomato and basil sauce, 1 can
- 8 ounces sliced mozzarella cheese, 1 package (Fresh is Best)
- 1 roma tomato, sliced thin
- 12 fresh basil leaves
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Top pizza crusts with sauce, cheese, tomato and basil leaves.
- Drizzle olive oil on top and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Be sure not to overdo the toppings - you want to be able to taste them all AND the delicious sauce and crust.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, until crust/cheese starts to turn golden.
Notes
- You don't have to use fresh basil and fresh Mozzarella, but it tastes better that way!
- You can also substitute your sundried tomato and basil sauce for any other sauce you'd like.
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave a review or a question in the comment section below the post.This post was included in our EASY 5 ingredient meals in 15 minutes video – for more inexpensive and delicious recipes like this one, click here to check it out!
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My daughter and I were in Italy last year and ate this pizza several times. Italians do not load their pizzas with a lot of stuff. This particular pizza is on all of the menus there. It was dang good.
I, Brian McCaffery is the founder of this Margherita pizza I want to thank all for eating it and giving good reports.