Classic Margarita Pizza

How to Make Margharita Pizza

Here are the simple steps you’ll want to know, for how to make a margarita pizza at home. Together with the complete recipe below, your pizza, no doubt, will be a big a hit with the family:

Prebake the Crust

Unroll the pizza crust into the pan and brush it with olive oil. You can use either regular olive oil here or extra-virgin olive oil. It’s completely up to you and your taste buds. The crust is partially baked untopped, to so that the baked pizza will end up with a  crisp crust—similar to an authentic pizza from Naples.

Top the Crust

Canned crushed tomatoes are used to be the “sauce” as well as a topping. So spread the tomatoes with their juices over the crust. Trust us, you’ll love the moistness the tomato juice and tomatoes add. Sprinkle chopped garlic over the crust, for that authentic garlicy flavor. Don’t be tempted to use garlic salt or powder--you’ll want the fresh flavor that the natural version of this ingredient brings to the pizza. Next, sprinkle the pizza with the fresh mozzarella. These low prep ingredients mean you could almost make this pizza with your eyes closes (however, we wouldn’t recommend it).

Bake and Garnish

Bake the pizza until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted. The cheese will look like little round discs but will be incredibly soft and melted. After the pizza is baked, top it with fresh basil leaves—they’ll stick to the cheese when it’s hot and melty from the oven.

Cut and Serve

Cut this pizza into small squares. It’s easy for even little hands to hold these pieces. They’re a size everyone can appreciate, and you get to enjoy more “slices” this way!

Margharita Pizza Ingredients

It doesn’t take many margherita pizza ingredients to make a delicious pizza. Check out what each one brings to this simple dish:

Refrigerated Pizza Crust: Our classic pizza crust is the first secret to getting this tasty pizza on the table in under a half an hour. It simply gets unrolled and topped. There’s no mixing, kneading, or tossing the dough into the air…only to have it land on your face…required.

Crushed Tomatoes: Picked and packed at the peak of ripeness, crushed tomatoes serve as sauce and veggie on this pizza, simply spoon them out of the can. That’s some serious time savings.

Garlic Cloves: Fresh garlic adds to the authentic flavor of this dish. One medium clove equals about 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped garlic, three cloves should be 1 1/2 teaspoons of finely chopped garlicy deliciousness.

Fresh Mozzarella Pearls: Fresh mozzarella is softer, creamier, and has a higher moisture content than regular mozzarella. This adds moistness to the pizza. We call for small bite-size balls “pearls” of the fresh cheese, there’s no slicing or chopping necessary. You can usually find them near the other specialty cheeses in the deli section of your grocery store. You can substitute 8 ounces of sliced fresh mozzarella cheese instead if you like, but tear them apart or they’ll cover over most of the pretty tomatoes.

Fresh Basil Leaves: While most garnishes look great but are completely optional, in this recipe, the basil leaves add an integral flavor to the pizza. It simply wouldn’t be the same without them. Their fresh, almost green, and peppery flavor goes so well with the tomatoes and mild flavor of the mozzarella cheese.

Storing and Reheating Margharita Pizza

Leftover Italian margherita pizza can be stored for another meal. However, the basil leaves will turn dark during storage. You can either leave them off the portion of the pizza that won’t get eaten right away, or you can remove them when you’re ready to reheat a slice and replace them with fresh basil leaves after reheating.

Refrigerator Storage: Wrap cooled baked pieces on a plate. Refrigerate up to 3 days.

Freezer Storage: Freezer storage isn’t recommended for this recipe. This pizza made without a true sauce and will end up tasting dry once frozen and reheated.

Reheating Directions: Place a piece or two of the leftover pizza on a microwavable plate. Cover loosely and microwave on Medium (50%) about 1 minute or until heated through. The crust won’t be as crispy, but it will still be tasty.

More Delicious Italian Recipes

If your family loves Italian meals, why not try one of these recipes from our list of Italian-inspired dinner recipes next:

Italian Sausage and Ravioli Casserole: It’s the easiest way to make lasagna ever! Stuffed ravioli and cooked Italian sausage are layered with pasta sauce and cheese for a yummy take on lasagna your family will love.

Chicken Piccata Pasta: This recipe takes the scrumptious flavors of chicken piccata—lemon, cream, and parsley—and turns them into an easy one-pot dinner.

Italian Crescent Casserole: It’s sort of like a lasagna pot pie, with 3 layers of deliciousness. A mixture of ground beef, onions, and pasta sauce is topped with a sour cream-mozzarella mixture and finished with a simple Parmesan crescent rolls crust.

Chicken Alfredo Penne: Creamy, cheesy alfredo sauce is slathered over penne pasta with rotisserie chicken and peas, for a delightfully easy one-pot dinner.