Pizza Margherita
Published January 17, 2023
Melina Hammer for The New York Times
- Total Time
- 15 minutes, plus 1 hour to heat oven
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
1 12-inch round of pizza dough, stretched (see recipe)
3 tablespoons tomato sauce (see note)
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 ¾ ounces fresh mozzarella
4 to 5 basil leaves, roughly torn
Nutritional analysis per serving (2 servings)
57 grams carbs; 31 milligrams cholesterol; 439 calories; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 14 grams fat; 3 grams fiber; 1003 milligrams sodium; 20 grams protein; 6 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Place a pizza stone or tiles on the middle rack of your oven and turn heat to its highest setting. Let it heat for at least an hour.
- Step 2
Put the sauce in the center of the stretched dough and use the back of a spoon to spread it evenly across the surface, stopping approximately ½ inch from the edges.
- Step 3
Drizzle a little olive oil over the pie. Break the cheese into large pieces and place these gently on the sauce. Scatter basil leaves over the top.
- Step 4
Using a pizza peel, pick up the pie and slide it onto the heated stone or tiles in the oven. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbling, approximately 4 to 8 minutes.
In a food processor, whiz together whole, drained canned tomatoes, a splash of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Keep leftover sauce refrigerated.
Private Notes
Comments
I'm always a bit confused abut the term fresh mozzarella. Is this the buffala type sold in water (sometimes also sold as fiore di latte, not buffal but less expensive) or like boccancini? Or the firmer type sold in plastic?
DO NOT shy away from making the dough recommended here (Roberta's). Do not give in to the temptation to use store-bought dough. I've made this pizza with both, and the difference between the two can be measured in light years. Make it. You can do it. It's not hard. And it is A-MAY-ZING.
I followed this recipe to the letter, and I have to tell you, it was pretty bland. If you really want to do pizza sauce the right way, you must add oregano -- along with chopped onions and garlic. Otherwise, the sauce has no kick at all.
Very good basic recipe but agree that the sauce can be easily enhanced: add some basil and oregano to the food processor, and red pepper flakes if you want a bit of a kick. Otherwise it's great.
If you "whiz together ... canned tomatoes, ... olive oil and ... salt" in a food processor as the tip suggests, you'll end up with a pale pink puree -- tasty maybe, but weird looking. Puree the tomatoes and salt without the oil, then stir in the oil by hand afterward for a more appetizing red sauce.
San Marzano tomatoes are bursting with flavor. Sadly I can't eat them any more because they trigger a migraine. I can eat regular tomatoes just fine. Anyway make sure your simple ingredients are the best and you won't need to "doctor" it with other ingredients.