Margherita Pizza Recipe

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In 1889, Italy's Queen Margherita visited Naples, which most people agree is the birthplace of pizza. In honor of her visit, a local baker added white mozzarella to the traditional Neapolitan pie combination of red tomatoes and green basil leaves to complete the colors of the Italian flag.

Yield: two 12-inch pizzas

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Start to Finish Time: 25 minutes

• Flour (for dusting)
• Basic Pizza Dough
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced, divided
• 8 large tomatoes, thinly sliced and patted dry
• 1 pound fresh mozzarella (one large ball), sliced into thin rounds
• Whole basil leaves
• Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat oven to 500°. On a lightly floured surface, cut pizza dough in half and roll out into two 1/2-inch-thick rounds.

Brush one round with olive oil. Sprinkle with half of garlic. Overlap (slightly) tomato slices, mozzarella rounds, and basil leaves in concentric circles on top of dough. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Repeat with second dough round. Bake 10 to 15 minutes, until cheese is brown and bubbling.