Pizza

Pizza Margherita

Feb 3, 2018 by Gabriele Corcos

DIFFICULTY

Pizza Margherita was developed by a Neapolitan cook in the 19^th century to serve his queen. And impress her it did, since he slyly and simply highlighted the colors of the Italian flag in the pizza: red (tomatoes), white (mozzarella), and green (basil)! This is the prototype pizza, the go-to classic that kids love. When you say “pizza” at home, this is what comes to mind, and rightly so. With fresh ingredients, it practically transports you to Italy.

1 cup canned whole peeled tomatoes (pelati)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

All-purpose flour, for dusting

Pizza Dough, formed into 4 (13-inch) discs, at room temperature

1/2 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded

Handful fresh basil leaves

Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

1 Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 500°F for 1 hour before baking. (Or preheat a wood-fired pizza oven to very hot, 4 hours before baking.)

2 In a food processor, purée the tomatoes until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3 Using a spoon, spread one-fourth of the tomato sauce on 1 disc of dough, leaving a 1-inch border all around. Sprinkle with one-fourth of the mozzarella.

4 Gently place the pizza on the pizza stone and bake for about 5 minutes, until golden with slight signs of charring. (If using a wood-fired oven, gently place the pizza on the oven floor, and bake for 3 minutes, or until golden and crisp.)

5 Remove the pizza from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Slice, garnish with basil and a drizzle of olive oil, and serve immediately.

6 Repeat with the remaining 3 pizza discs.