It’s Pizza Week here at Once Upon a Spice and I wanted to begin by sharing the simple, but amazingly impressive Pizza Margherita.

PLEASE NOTE: This pie is no slouch! The intense flavors of this remarkable, straightforward, herb-filled, cheesy, molten, pie of love can stand up to any meat-packed version. The marriage of the essence of these 4 incredible cheeses are like no other combination. Plus, the subtle flavors of fresh basil and oregano compliment this pie to new heights!

Vegetarian Pizzeria Style pizza at its finest! I dare you not to quickly fall in love…

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• ¾-1 cup of your favorite bottled marinara sauce, I like Emeril Lagasse’s in a pinch but prefer my 20 Minute Magnificent Marinara  HINT: Save some sauce from pasta night & you’ll be one step closer to pizza night!
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed or minced
• 2 Roma tomatoes; sliced thin
• 2 Tbsp fresh oregeno or 1/2 tsp dried plus extra for sprinkling
• 1 cup mozzarella, sliced
• 1 cup Kerrygold Dubliner cheese, shredded
• 1 cup Sharp cheddar, shredded
• 1/4 cup Parmesan, shaved or shredded
• 1 cup (or more) fresh basil leaves, torn, sliced or left whole
• 1 pound dough from your local Pizzeria or my 30 Minute Pizzeria Style Dough

Directions:

• Dust work surface with flour.
• Dust rolling pin
• Place dough on work surface, press out air and roll into a roundish pizza shape.
• Oil pan and place shaped dough in pizza pan and let rest for 5 minutes.
• Preheat the oven 425*
• Spread dough with tomato sauce & garlic, top with mozzarella, Dubliner, cheddar, Parmesan, tomato slices and fresh basil.
• Sprinkle with oregano and season with salt & pepper to taste.
• Bake for 30-35 minutes until cheese is bubbling and crust is golden.
• Garnish with parmesan, a sprinkling of extra olive oil and extra basil leaves while still hot. Cool slightly before serving.
• Serves 8 slices