Queen Margherita Pizza

Pizza has become a favorite in America. One can not go to any state and not find a Pizza establishment. We Americans think our Pizza is the best...some might even think we invented it. Well we did not and I have traveled all cross the world and can tell you there are some good Pizza out there. While living in Germany I have some really good pizza. Then in Italy oh the pizza there was to die for.

So,let me tell you a little about this pizza we enjoy. It has been around since the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. It was their fast meal per say, for the social class that could not spend hours at the table. The dough was made and top with whatever meat they had. In the 7th century AD water buffalo were imported from India to what we know as Italy. From their milk they made the original Mozzarella. It is still made there today. Parmesan cheese is a long lived food and has been made in the Reggio-Emila region of Italy since the 10th Century A.D. Oh those tomatoes we so enjoy...they came from Mexico. the Spanish conquistadores brought the plants, thought to be Poisonous, back with them. It was introduce to Europe as a decorative plant. The plant was called "Pomodoro", Golden apple, and "Pomme d'amour" love apple. Oh the thoughts I have about those names, and they thought it was a poisonous apple. By the late 17th century the cultivation of tomatoes, from this plant for food ,was a thriving enterprise around Naples.
These Ingredients; the Bread base, Buffalo Mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, and Tomatoes were the base for the Neapolitan Pizza. In 1889 the dish was given it's royal stamp of approval. That same year King Umberto and Queen Margherita were visiting Naples. they were given a Pizza party of sorts. The Queens' favorite was the Neapolitan she enjoyed it so much that her name was given to the pizza.
There is so much more history but, I will stop there. Since I want to give you the recipe for this pizza. However I will pick the story up at a later time.

Queen Margherita Pizza- Auntie E's Version

You will need:
1 large Pizza dough, rolled out. (I get mine from the pizzeria and they stretch it for me.)
1/2 cup tomato base pizza sauce-(I use Boboli, original pizza sauce.)
2 cloves garlic minced
5 basil leaves chopped
2 cups Mozzarella cheese shredded or Sliced. (If you can find Buffalo Mozzarella try it.)
2 Roman Tomatoes- Sliced thinly.(they hold up better in this kind of recipe)
3 tablespoon Grated Parmesan cheese.
2 tablespoon olive oil.
Pizza pan or stone
some corn meal

set oven at 450 degrees-preheat
use a pizza stone if you have one. Sprinkle your pizza pan with a little corn meal.
lay the dough on the stone, roll the edges to form a rim,Brush the edges with Olive Oil.
spread the 1/2 cup of Sauce on the bottom of dough .
sprinkle with 1/2 the garlic and 1/2 the Basil.
top with 1/2 the cheese.
Add tomatoes around top of cheese, sprinkle with the remaining Basil and Garlic
Sprinkle remaining cheeses on top.

bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until crust is golden.

The photo is a the pizza I made with the my Pizza machine Gadget.