I love pizza. I love it's versatility and the abundance of options for ways to enjoy a pie. It's the perfect food for kids, teens, adults, and everyone in between. One of my favorites is an Italian original, Pizza Margherita. Pizza Margherita comes from Naples and is named after the Italian Queen Margherita. It's vibrant combination of tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil is everything that I love about Italian food. It may be simple, but each ingredient is so outstanding that the combination is a perfect Italian romance.
This pizza is my take on the original. I decided to make a simple basil pesto instead of using whole leaves, and then brushed it over the pizza right before it was finished baking. This way, I could taste the delicious floral basil in every bite.
I used pre-made dough from Whole Foods. They sell their house pizza dough fresh, just ask the guy behind the pizza counter. They also have two options, white and whole grain.
Recipe
Pre-made Pizza Dough
1 Can San Marzano tomatoes
3 garlic clove
1/2 white onion
salt/pepper
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 teaspoon of oregano
handful of fresh basil leaves
olive oil (for the pesto, about 4 tablespoons)
fresh mozzarella
1. Slice mozzarella and set aside.
2. Chop fresh basil and add to a food processor. Add 2 cloves of garlic, a pinch of salt and pepper and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Puree. Add more olive oil until a smooth, grainy mustard like appearance. Set aside.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan. Add 1 pressed garlic clove. Add finely chopped white onion. Cook for 5 minutes. Add oregano. Add chopped San Marzano tomatoes. Add sugar, salt, and pepper to taste. Cook until sauce starts to thicken. (about 10 minutes).
4. Roll out the pizza dough.
5. Puree the sauce in a food processor, or use chunky...your preference. Add to the pizza dough.
6. Cover the pizza with sliced mozzarella. Add some tomato slices on top if you prefer.
7. Bake at 450 for about 15 minutes (depending on your preference of crust thickness).
8. 5 minutes before pizza is done (before the mozzarella really starts to bubble) brush the pesto all over the pizza, or just use a spoon to lightly cover the surface.
9. Bake another 5 minutes and buon appetito!
Enjoy your pie and as always, pleasant eating.
When I first heard "Snickerdoodle" as a small immigrant child, I thought I was about to get some kind of candy bar, or at least a ton of caramel on top of chocolate. I was wrong, but I was delighted to be wrong. Snicker doodle cookies are one of my favorite treats because of my love for cinnamon and their very easy assembly. 
