Summertime Margherita Pizza – From Garden to Table

This is the time of year that my garden is just brimming with vegetables.

I love to make my roasted tomato sauce, it’s extremely easy and turns out delicious every time.  It’s wonderful on chicken, pasta and vegetables, but it’s especially amazing on a homemade margherita pizza.

I used a combination of a large yellow heirloom, Sweet 100 cherry tomatoes and a deep red Roma.

To make the sauce, I throw the ripe sliced tomatoes in a roasting pan,  then add basil from my garden, some fresh parsley, whole peeled garlic cloves, a sliced and seeded jalapeno or other mild pepper or just a dash of red chili flakes, a generous pour of olive oil and Vignalta salt (a chunky herbed salt that I use on everything).  Put it in a 375 degrees oven for 45 minutes, stirring after 25 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool.  Blend in blender or cuisinart until creamy.  Add 1 tsp. sugar and more salt if needed.

Gather all of your ingredients to make the pizza

Pamela’s Margherita Pizza

Pam’s Homemade Roasted Sauce (above)
Pizza balls
Olive Oil – a mild high temperature type
Shredded Mozzerella cheese (use a high quality dry ball, don’t use preshredded)
Fresh sliced tomatoes, remove excess juice with a paper towel before laying on pizza
Fresh Basil – chiffonade
Red Pepper Flakes
Shredded Romano Cheese

I get my pizza balls from a local pizza parlor, they are made fresh daily and usually cost $3. for a small ball.  Just call your neighborhood parlor and ask if they sell only the dough.

I roll the dough into a long rectangle and brush the edges with basil olive oil, then spread the sauce generously over the dough.  Cover with mozerella cheese, fresh thinly sliced tomatoes, the chiffonade of basil, a scant sprinkling of red pepper flakes, and finish with the shredded romano cheese.  Bake in a 500 degree oven for 10-12 minutes.

Serve with chili pepper flakes and for a kick, add a Spanish anchovy on top.  Pamela says, get Oriz, anchovies in olive oil.

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