Once upon a time in a land far far away, the Kingdom of Italy was ruled by a king and his Queen Margherita. During Margherita’s reign a gifted artisan baker crafted a pizza “whose red tomatoes, green basil, and white cheese represent the Italian flag”. The queen so loved the pizza that it was named Margherita in her honor (which actually means “daisy” in Italian). This traditional pizza is served to this day in Italy, and throughout the world. (This story brought to you by Wikipedia.)

I thank Queen Margherita for her good taste, without which I would not be enjoying such a fantastic pizza today. Like is the focus of most Italian food, pizza Margherita is all about using the freshest ingredients. You need four simple, fresco ingredients: tomatoes (Romas preferred), basil leaves, extra virgin olive oil, and mozzarella. Don’t even think about using the bagged or pre-shredded or low moisture/low-fat cheese. You need a ball of fresh, moist, luxurious mozzarella. It’s the only way.

A slice of this breathtaking pizza will take you back to Naples…back to the birthplace of a culinary masterpiece that has found its way into your kitchen.

INGREDIENTS
1 recipe pizza dough
Roma tomatoes, sliced (enough to cover surface of pizza)
handful fresh basil leaves, chopped
8 oz. fresh mozzarella, sliced
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper
balsamic vinegar + extra virgin olive oil, for dipping

DIRECTIONS
1. Prepare pizza dough according to directions.

2. Preheat oven and pizza stone to 450 F.

3. Brush crust with olive oil. Layer tomatoes and mozzarella over crust. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbling. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with basil.

5. (Optional) Serve with a mixture of balsamic vinegar and olive oil for dipping.

Makes 1 pizza.