Simply Divine Puff Pastry Margherita Pizza Recipe

This mouthwateringly delicious pizza pie was named for the Queen Margherita of Savoy, as she was presented with this dish in 1889 during a visit to Naples. Made to resemble the green, red, and white of the Italian flag, this simple three-topping pizza is a staple in pizza houses across the globe!

This version is made with a flaky puff pastry crust as a particularly decadent take on the well-loved original.

Makes two small rectangular pizzas.

Buon Appetito!

1- 1.1 lb package frozen Puff Pastry (2 sheets), thawed according to instructions (usually 40 minutes)

3 roma tomatoes, sliced

1 lb mozzarella cheese (preferably fresh rather than processed) sliced about 1/4" thick

6-8 fresh basil leaves

1 Tbs minced garlic (optional)

extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

sea salt and black pepper

flour for dusting pizza trays

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Lightly flour 2 metal pizza trays (it is best to use the kind with holes in it, otherwise your pastry will be soggy, not crispy!) Lay one thawed unfolded pastry sheet on each, and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Use the back of a spoon to spread oil evenly over surface of pastry. If using the minced garlic, sprinkle evenly across the pastry and spread out further with the back of a spoon if necessary.

Top pastry with sliced mozzarella and tomatoes, dividing evenly between two pizzas. Leave about a 1/2" border around the outside of each pizza to prevent too much cheese from being lost over the edges. Tear basil leaves into halves or quarters and sprinkle across the top of both pizzas.

Season with freshly ground black pepper and a tiny pinch of sea salt. (Mozzarella is a salty cheese so little added salt is necessary).

Bake at 400ºF for 25-30 minutes, or until cheese is lightly bubbling and crust is brown and flaky. Slice, serve, and enjoy!

Use fresh mozzarella whenever possible.  The flavor is divine!  If you can only find processed mozzarella, use the whole milk kind, NOT the low-moisture/part skim--it has almost no flavor and turns rubbery when it melts. 

Balsamic vinegar is a lovely accompaniment for this pizza, whether drizzled on top after baking or used for dipping as you eat.

Other types of tomatoes can also be used, but I find roma tomatoes to be most consistently pleasing in both flavor and texture. You may also choose to dice your tomatoes instead of slicing, for more coverage across the pizza.

Garlic is of course a matter of taste. I absolutely love garlic, but I often make this pizza with no garlic at all because it is perfectly delicious without it!

Thanks for reading! You may also like my Easy Stuffing-Topped Chicken Pot Pie or Salsa Verde Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas recipes.

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