This classic Neapolitan recipe for Italian Margherita Pizza is an authentic version of pizza from Naples. Made with a simple tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, and fresh basil leaves, this recipe is a great way to get a taste of Italy in your kitchen!
Italian Margherita Pizza is a simple and delicious pizza topped with just a few ingredients. This is the classic way to make pizza in your home oven, no pizza oven required!
Serve this with a simple Italian Arugula Salad or my Italian Chopped Salad. If you love pizza, try this Italian Stromboli recipe.
The Best Margherita Pizza
One bite of this Italian Margherita Pizza and you will be transformed to a piazza in Italy! Made with simple ingredients and an authentic pizza crust, it’s one recipe you don’t want to miss.
A classic Margherita Pizza recipe is very different from an American cheese pizza. Here, the focus is on the crust and the simple high-quality ingredients.
The crust is a homemade pizza dough, preferably an Overnight Pizza Dough that has time to ferment and rise. This gives the crust extra flavor and keeps it tender and crisp.
You won’t find any pizza sauce on this legendary pizza either. Use a simple homemade marinara sauce made with San Marzano tomatoes for best flavor.
Lastly, the cheese is fresh mozzarella cheese, not shredded. Topped with fresh basil, and this is a truly amazing slice of pizza!
Margherita Pizza History
The history of Margherita pizza dates back to 1889 in Naples, Italy, when it was created to honor Queen Margherita of Savoy.
Legend has it that the royal chef, Raffaele Esposito, crafted a special pizza with fresh ingredients representing the colors of the Italian flag: red (tomato), white (mozzarella), and green (fresh basil). The queen reportedly enjoyed it so much that the pizza was named after her.
Ingredients
- Pizza Dough: I recommend using my recipe for Overnight Pizza Dough to get the most authentic pizza Margherita. The low yeast crust gets its flavor and chew from the gluten in the flour and it the best way to make the pizza. You’ll need one pound of pizza dough for this recipe.
- Marinara: cover the pizza with a good quality red tomato sauce like my Simple Marinara Sauce, that’s made with canned San Marzano tomatoes.
- Mozzarella: use fresh mozzarella cut into slices. Be sure to pat the slices dry before adding to the pizza.
- Basil: only fresh basil will work to make an Italian Margherita Pizza. You can tear the leaves with your hands or slice in thin strips.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: finish off the pizza with a drizzle of olive oil.
How to Make Italian Margherita Pizza
If you want authentic Margherita pizza like they make in Italy, then you need to pay attention to the ingredients and the process of making this classic recipe. Once you have the hang of it, it’ll be your favorite way to make homemade Margherita pizza, no fancy wood-fired oven required!
Margherita Pizza Crust
The perfect Margherita pizza starts with the best crust. Use my Overnight Pizza Crust recipe to get the best results. You can make this in a stand mixer with a dough hook or with a bowl.
You want a crust that is low in yeast and has had a chance to grow and ferment, without a lot of kneading. Traditional Italian pizza crust should only include four ingredients: flour, yeast, water and salt.
My recipe makes two one-pound dough balls. You can use the other pound to make this Italian Calzone Recipe or these delicious Panzerroti.
Once the pizza dough is ready and is room temperature, use your hands to pull and stretch the dough to a 12-inch round. Do not use a rolling pin as you could deflate the bubble and texture of the dough.
Leave the dough on a lightly floured surface or you can prepare it on a pizza peel for easy transfer to the oven.
Pizza Toppings
Once the dough is ready, you can top it with the Simple Marinara Sauce and fresh mozzarella cheese. Be sure to use good qualify ingredients since there are only a few toppings on this pizza.
When you are ready to bake, set the oven to the highest temperature, around 475 degrees. You can bake the pizza on a baking sheet or use a baking stone if you have one.
Bake and Slice
It’s important to bake the pizza at a high temperature to crisp up the crust. You’ll know the pizza is done with the crust is golden and the cheese is melted; about 10 minutes.
Carefully remove the pizza from the oven and let sit for a few minutes. Then, sprinkle on the basil leaves.
I like to finish off my Italian Margherita Pizza in true Italian fashion, with a drizzle of good quality extra virgin olive oil!
Tips for Making the Perfect Pizza
Here are four tips for making the perfect Italian Margherita Pizza:
- Use high-quality ingredients – Go for San Marzano tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and fresh basil—the simpler the pizza, the more each ingredient matters.
- Don’t overload the toppings – Keep it light so the crust stays crisp and the flavors stay balanced.
- Use a hot oven or pizza stone – Bake at the highest temperature your oven allows (ideally 475 degrees or hotter) to get that beautiful, blistered crust.
- Add fresh basil and a drizzle of olive oil after baking – This keeps the basil vibrant and the flavor bright and fresh.
- Use an Overnight Pizza Dough made with just flour, water, salt, and yeast and let it ferment slowly (overnight or longer) for the best flavor, chew, and lightness.
More Authentic Italian Recipes
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Italian Margherita Pizza
Equipment
- baking sheet (or pizza stone)
Ingredients
- 1 pound pizza dough (see below)
- ⅓ cup marinara sauce
- 6 ounces fresh mozzarella (patted dry)
- ¼ cup fresh basil, shredded
- extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Position baking rack near top third of oven.
- Place pizza dough on a lightly floured surface. Use your hands to stretch the dough until it is roughly 12-inches in diameter. (The pizza doesn't have to perfectly round).
- Spoon the marinara sauce on top of the dough and spread, leaving about an inch border around the dough. Then, pull apart the mozzarella and place on top of the sauce.
- Place the pizza on a baking sheet or pizza peel, depending on how you are baking it. Transfer to oven and bake until the crust is golden and the sauce is bubbly; about 10-12 minutes.
- Carefully remove the pizza from the oven and top with shredded basil and a drizzle of olive. Cut into slices and serve immediately.
