Homemade Margherita Pizza Recipe

This homemade Margherita Pizza Recipe is a fantastic dish to make at home, and especially fun to make with kids! You only need a few ingredients to make this Italian speciality. Keep reading for tips and tricks of how to make homemade pizza sauce and also how to level up your crust! 

The year I lived in Italy, I spent the majority of my time in Rome. Every few weekends, I would venture away from my Roman paradise and explore a different part of the beautiful country I was living in. I visited the Cinque Terre, Bologna, Frascati, Pompeii, Sicily.

One weekend, I went to…. Naples. 

There are a lot of opinions in the world on Naples. Some people absolutely love the city and can’t get enough of the Napoli people and their rough and tumble attitudes. Some people think that the city is on the dirtier side and that the people of Naples can be intimidating. 

I visited the city with an open mind, but at a first glance, I wasn’t sure how I felt. But as I started to venture further out and experience the city as it was meant to be seen, I learned to love Naples!

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Pizza in Naples

The best part, of course, was the pizza. I did the stereotypical tourist thing. I visited the pizzeria that Julia Roberts gave her fantastic, perspective-altering monologue about it being okay to eat calories in Eat, Pray, Love. In the movie, she ate the whole pizza. *I* ate the whole pizza. 

That pizza was, to put it lightly, life-changing. I have never eaten another pizza so delicious in my life, and I’m not sure I ever will. But this Margherita Pizza Recipe… this Margherita Pizza Recipe right here does its best. I won’t ever claim to be as good as one of the oldest pizzerias in Naples, but I can try my hardest to come close. We’ve done a great job, folks, if I do say so myself. 

I can’t wait for you to try this Margherita Pizza Recipe at home! I just know you’ll love it. And I can’t wait to hear about it when you do 🙂 

What Does Margherita Pizza Have on It?

Margherita pizza is made with pizza sauce, shredded mozzarella, roma tomatoes, and fresh basil leaves. 

The Margherita Pizza is an Italian (and Neapolitan, specifically) classic. If done right, the ingredients on the pie are fresh and flavorful, making for a spectacular taste in every bite. 

Pile on as much basil and as many tomatoes as you wish. You won’t regret it 🙂

What Ingredients Do I Need to Make this Margherita Pizza Recipe? 

1 Pizza Crust (I like Tiseo’s Frozen Pizza Dough)
1 ¾ cup Mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 Roma Tomatoes, cut into thin rounds
10 Large Basil Leaves
½ cup Pizza Sauce 
2 tbsp butter
¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated 

What Ingredients are in Homemade Pizza Sauce? 

6 oz tomato paste
¼ cup olive oil 
1 cup water
1 ½ tsp oregano 
¾ tsp rosemary 
½ tsp sage 
¼ tsp marjoram 
¼ tsp salt 

How to Make Homemade Margherita Pizza 

Thaw your pizza dough according to package instructions. Flour a working surface. Use a rolling pin to roll out your pizza dough to your desired size. Lay it on a pizza stone or a greased pizza pan. 

In a small mixing bowl, combine all ingredients for pizza sauce. 

Use a pastry brush or spoon to spread pizza sauce on the pizza dough. 

Sprinkle the shredded cheese on top of the pizza dough. Then layer the sliced roma tomatoes on top. 

Bake the pizza in the oven according to pizza dough instructions. I baked mine at 450 degrees for 18 minutes. 

When pizza is done baking, remove from the oven. 

Melt the butter in a microwave safe dish. Use a pastry brush to brush butter on the crust of the pizza. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top of the crust. 

Lay fresh basil leaves on top of the baked pizza. Enjoy! 

Why is It Called a Margherita Pizza? 

There are a few rumors about how Margherita Pizza got its name. The most well-known theory is that the pizza is named after the Queen of Italy (queen during the late 1800s-early 1900s), Margherita of Savoy. 

The decoration of Margherita pizza can also be the credited for its name. The pizza features slices of mozzarella cheese and basil leaves in a beautiful ring on the surface of the pizza. Some say that this design is reminiscent of a daisy, the word for which is “Margherita” in Italian. 

How Do I Make Pizza Crust Taste Better? 

Pizza crust can either be the absolute BEST part of this pizza or the absolute worst. So you have to treat it right! 

To make sure that you’re gracing your pizza crust with maximum deliciousness, follow my instructions carefully. Melt some butter, scoop some roasted garlic, and grab a handful of grated parmesan cheese (not all at once, that would be difficult). 

Mix a little garlic into the butter and then brush that wonderful concoction on the pizza dough. Then take your handful of parmesan and sprinkle it allllll over that bad boy. 

Viola! The most delicious pizza crust in the world! Butter, garlic and parmesan: the greatest combination known to man. 

Can I Add Meat to this Pizza? 

Of course! This is a great vegetarian pizza option (just like this Peach Pizza with Goat Cheese and Honey!), but you can honestly add whatever you want on top of this pizza. A typical margherita pizza has only mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil. If you add anything else to your pizza, it can’t technically be considered a margherita anymore (but shhhh I won’t tell if you wont! 😉 ). 

Some other yummy options to add to this pizza would be chicken breast, bacon, ham, onions, olives, mushrooms or…. Literally anything else you can think of in the world!

Don’t feel boxed into a true Margherita if that’s not what you’re craving. Get creative, you can do whatever you want.

Be Careful with Your Basil Leaves! 

When making this pizza, be very careful not to put the basil leaves on your pizza before you bake it! This will cause them to burn and flake and overall be not very delicious at all. 

The best move is to remove your pizza from the oven, glam up the crust, and then lay your basil leaves on top. 

The longer that the basil sits on a hot pizza, the quicker the leaves will get brown. If you’re cooking to impress, don’t put the basil on pizza until right before you serve it. 

What Goes Well as a Side to this Recipe? 

So many things! You can always make a delicious salad to go alongside this margherita pizza recipe. One of my favorite options is this Quinoa Salad with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Feta Cheese.

If you want a traditional Italian dessert to go with your traditional Italian meal, try this Easy Tiramisu Recipe I Learned in Italy! 

Thanks for reading everyone! If you liked this recipe, post a comment on this post letting me know what you thought! And if you make it, make sure to take a photo and tag @TheForeignFork and hashtag #TheForeignFork. I can’t wait to see your creations!