Margarita Pizza is a pizza classic. This style of pizza was originally made for Queen Margherita, the Queen of Italy by a man named Esposito in Naples in 1889. Italy, Queen Margherita. The ingredients you find in Margarita pizza are typically fresh basil, tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese. During the summer I grow container gardens of herbs, basil is one that I love. This summer I have had fresh salad caprese, and homemade pesto, and I have enjoyed every minute of growing my own herbs. Margarita pizza is a wonderful way to use your fresh basil.
Margarita pizza (or Margherita pizza to give it its Italian spelling) is a classic in the wonderful world of Italian pizza. The basic ingredients you find in Margarita pizza are fresh basil, tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese. During the summer I grow container gardens of herbs. Basil is one that I love, and I use it to make fresh salad caprese and homemade pesto. I enjoy every minute of growing my own herbs, and homemade Margarita pizza is a wonderful way to use fresh basil.
How to Grow Your Own Basil
Basil is an annual plant that is easy to grow. It grows very fast under the right conditions. Two or three plants will yield a lot of fresh leaves. Many gardeners enjoy mixing various varieties of basil in their flower beds, where it is ready for a quick harvest anytime. It’s also great for containers. The perfect spot to place your basil containers is where there is just enough sun to give you an abundant crop. Your basil will not be happy in the hot sun all day long. For more details on growing basil, click here.
Who was Margarita? How did this pizza get its name?
This style of pizza was originally made for Queen Margherita, the Queen of Italy. In 1889, Queen Margherita of Savoy, the wife of King Umberto I, paid a visit to Naples. In honor of the Queen, chef Raffaele Esposito created a pizza to celebrate the unification of Italy. He designed a pizza to represent the Italian flag that was now flying throughout the new nation-state. To honor the Queen who had come to Naples, the pizza was christened Pizza Margherita.
- What’s on a Margarita Pizza? Essentially the colors of the Italian flag – red, white, and green. The tomato stands for the color red, the mozzarella for white, and the basil represents the color green. The other ingredients are garlic, fresh oregano, olive oil, salt, and black pepper.
Do you love pizza? Check out these other pizza inspired recipes.
How to make Pizza Dough
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Margarita Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 pizza dough
- 4 vine ripened tomatoes
- 1 garlic clove chopped
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 pound buffalo mozzarella sliced
- a handful fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Place the tomatoes in a bowl, cover with boiling water from the kettle and leave to stand for 1 minute. Drain, rinse in cold water, then peel away the skins.
- Roughly chop up the tomatoes. Place chopped tomatoes in a bowl with the oregano, garlic, and oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. If the tomatoes are quite juicy, you can choose to strain off some of the juice.
- Roll out the pizza dough into a 12-inch round and place on a baking sheet. Spread the tomato mixture over the dough - spread it to the edges but leave a border. Top with the cheese and basil.
- Drizzle the oil over the pizza and bake for 10-14 minutes - the cheese should be bubbly, and the crust should be slightly browned.
MBS says
Reminds me of the Pizza’s I had in Milan.