SPICY MARGHERITA PIZZA

RECIPES

TIME TO MAKE:

1 HR

The humble pizza has a long, storied history. While the word “pizza” itself was first coined in the 10th century, when it may have referred to flatbreads such as pitas, the modern pizza — a round, flat, baked crust slathered with tomato sauce, cheese, and other toppings — was invented in Naples in the 19th century and was at first, believe it or not, a sweet dish. Today, few things in life are quite so perfect as a slice of hot, oven-fresh pizza. And while delivery — or frozen — is sometimes the way to go (no judgment here!), learning to make your own pizza from scratch is a small time investment with a huge payoff.

Making pizza from scratch might seem like a daunting task, but it’s much more approachable than you might think. Our recipe for Margherita pizza — a heavenly combo of basil, tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese — is a twist on a classic, adding spicy fire hybrid peppers to the sauce, but you can omit them for a more traditional pie. And we’ve made it even more approachable by recommending pre-made pizza dough, which is available at most major grocery stores or specialty food retailers. Buon appetito!

INGREDIENTS

250g pizza dough
250g mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
1 cup helios basil (whole leaves)

For the sauce:

250g sweet n neat tomatoes, crushed, skins removed (to do this: cut an “X” shape at the bottom of each tomato and place in a pot of boiling water for roughly five minutes. Remove and let cool; the skins will slide right off!)
2 fire hybrid peppers, thinly sliced, seeds removed and discarded
2 tbsp olive oil

MADE WITH

HELIOS BASIL

SWEET N NEAT TOMATO

BASKET OF FIRE HYBRID PEPPER

DIRECTIONS

Preheat your oven to 500C/260F.
Combine the tomatoes, peppers, and olive oil in a large bowl, and set aside for at least 30 minutes.
Roll out the pizza dough until it’s roughly 10 inches across, transfer it onto a baking sheet or pizza stone, and let it rest for about five minutes.
Spread the sauce on top of the pizza dough, leaving a half-inch border uncovered.
Sprinkle mozzarella cheese across the surface of the pizza.
Place on the lowest rack of your oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until your crust starts to bubble.
Remove pizza from the oven, and sprinkle with helios basil.
Slice and serve immediately.