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Traditional tomato, basil, and cheese
Today’s modern pizza of tomato sauce and cheese can be traced back to an Italian pizzario,
Raffaele Esposito of Naples, owner of a tavern called Pizzeria di Pietro e Basta Cosi.
In 1889, he created a pizza for the visiting Italian King Umberto I and Queen Margherita.
He used tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella cheese to represent the Italian flag’s colors
of red, green, and white. The queen asked Raffaele what the dish was called and the smart
chef replied, “The Margherita, after you, my Queen.” This recipe calls for two types of
mozzarella: One is sold shredded in plastic pouches, available in any supermarket; the other
is fresh, a soft, white ball that melts into milky pillows. I usually buy an 8-ounce (225g)
ball called fior de latte, or “flowers of milk.” Fresh mozzarella has a shelf life of
about two weeks.
Ingredients:
1 grilled pizza crust
1 tablespoon Herbed Grill Oil or extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan
1 cup shredded mozzarella
˝ cup Chunky Tomato Basil Sauce
1 ball (8 ounces/ 225g) fresh mozzarella
Garnish:
2 tablespoons basil leaves
Variations: Add pepperoni for a stellar spicy pizza.
- Brush the grilled side of the pizza crust with the Herbed Grill Oil.
Dust with the Parmesan and sprinkle with the mozzarella. Drop spoonfuls of the
Chunky Tomato Basil Sauce onto the pizza. Tear the fresh mozzarella into chunks
and distribute across the pizza, filling in the holes between the sauce.
- Just...Grill . Garnish with the basil leaves before serving.
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