Margherita Pizza
Pizza Margherita, said to have originated in Naples, Italy, is a simple yet elegant pizza whose ingredients represent the red, white and green of the Italian flag.
Sauce:
1 can (28 oz.) Contadina® Crushed Tomatoes
4 tsp. minced garlic
Pizzas:
All-purpose flour
2 balls (1 lb. each) refrigerated pizza dough, at room temperature at least 1 hour, or enough homemade dough to make 2 (12") pizzas
1 lb. fresh mozzarella cheese, drained
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
20 fresh basil leaves
Arrange 2 oven racks to divide the oven into thirds and heat to 450°F. Mix crushed tomatoes and garlic together in a bowl; set aside.
Place 1 ball of dough on a piece of generously floured parchment paper and roll into a rectangle, roughly 12x14-inches. Transfer parchment with dough on it onto a baking sheet. Repeat with second ball of dough on a second baking sheet.
Bake crusts 10 minutes; rotate between racks and bake 5 to 10 more minutes, or until edges begin to turn light golden brown. Meanwhile, cut mozzarella into thin slices and place in a single layer on paper towels to drain.
Remove crusts from oven. Spread 3/4 cup pizza sauce evenly over each crust. Top pizzas evenly with cheese.
Bake pizzas 10 minutes; rotate pizzas between racks and bake 5 to 10 more minutes, or until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown. When ready to serve, drizzle pizzas with oil. Tear basil leaves and sprinkle on top.
TIP: Only half of the pizza sauce will be used to make 2 pizzas. Freeze remaining sauce in 3/4 cup portions so they are ready to make 2 more pizzas.