Fast & Easy Dinner: Margherita Pizza

October 8, 2008

Sometimes the simplest of dishes can be the most rewarding. Take the classic margherita pizza, for example. With its crispy crust, fresh tomato sauce, and melted mozzarella cheese, it's far from complex, yet it's probably the world's most well-known pizza!

It's the perfect comfort food for a busy Wednesday evening, especially when topped with slivers of prosciutto and a shower of arugula. To treat yourself to this lovely pizza tonight, read more.

From The Nest

Margherita Pizza

Ingredients

1 ball or can of pizza dough (such as Pillsbury)
3 tablespoons (homemade or store bought) marinara sauce
4 slices dry mozzarella
4 leaves fresh basil, chopped
2 thin slices prosciutto
1/2 cup chopped arugula
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Prepare the pizza dough according to the package. Roll out to 8 or 9 inches in diameter.
Place the dough on a lightly floured pizza peel, or baking sheet with no sides, and top with sauce, cheese, and basil.
Slide the unbaked pizza onto the hot stone and bake until the crust is brown and bubbly, about 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and top with the prosciutto, arugula, and pepper. Slice and serve immediately.

Makes 1 pizza.

10 Comments

ilanac13 4 years 31 weeks

i have to say that this is one of the fail safe dishes that we all go to. while i'm on vacation, here or anywhere, i think that i'll always gravitate to a margharita pizza in the case that i'm either not sure what to eat, or if i can't find something on the menu. i'm a sucker for fresh tomato slices and a bit of cheese anyway, and they typically can't mess this one up since it's so straight forward.

roxyb 4 years 31 weeks

We have a grilled version of this every Friday night for family movie night...yes, we are that nerdy.

POPSUGAR Food 4 years 32 weeks

I definitely need to try this. What a great weeknight meal!

lisabarn 4 years 32 weeks

*drool* pizza *drool* =P~

TidalWave 4 years 32 weeks

i would hope so vitisva!! all good pizza places offer it!

vitisva 4 years 32 weeks

I think I've actually seen this on a menu of some place I've been before

Punk Glam Queen 4 years 32 weeks

Pizza Margherita should have fresh mozzarella (as seen in the yummy pic) leave the dry version for regular pizza! Three tablespoons seems so little for the sauce, as sometimes homemade or jar sauce is a little on the thin side and it soaks into the crust giving you a drier pizza. If you don't feel like making the crust, try it on Naan bread -- not traditional by any means, but Naan pizzas come out really good and so fast! Just add sauce, cheese, herbs and whatever else you'd like, pop in a 400 degree oven for about 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the pizza is heated all the way through (depends on what you're topping it with, the more topping the longer it takes to heat) and mangia! Oh man now I wish we didn't have pizza *last* night!

TidalWave 4 years 32 weeks

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM love this type of pizza