Pizza Margherita | Cook Smarts

Step 1

Pizza dough - Cover in flour and let rest for at least 30 minutes outside of fridge before rolling out. (Resting dough gives gluten time to chill out, which makes the dough much more pliable.) Make sauce - (If prepping right before cooking, get grill / oven heating before continuing with prep.) Chop garlic. Heat a saucepan over medium heat. Add olive oil (portion for sauce) and when hot, add garlic and oregano (portion for sauce) and saute until fragrant, ~1 minute. Stir in tomato paste and stock and simmer until sauce thickens slightly, ~1 minute. Add more stock if needed to reach a smooth, spreadable consistency. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead) Mozzarella / Basil / Tomatoes / Lettuce - Prep as directed. Olives - Drain and rinse.

Step 2

If cooking on the grill: Preheat grill to 425F / 218C degrees, keeping one part over direct heat and one part over indirect heat. If cooking in the oven: Heat oven to 425F / 218C degrees and position top rack so it’s at the very top. {grill}: Spread dough out into a circle and brush one side with some oil. Place dough on grill over direct heat (oiled side down). Close lid and cook for 3 minutes. (This is also a good pizza on the grill video tutorial.) {grill}: Remove pizza from grill and flip over. Top grilled side of dough with sauce, cheese, and basil. {grill}: Return pizza to indirect heat and continue cooking, with lid closed, until cheese is melted and bubbly, 8 to 10 minutes. {oven}: Brush a sheet pan with some oil. Using hands, stretch out pizza dough to cover sheet pan - it should be pretty easy to do if you let the dough rest. Brush dough with some oil. {oven}: Bake dough on top rack for 3 minutes without toppings. This solo time in the oven gives the dough time to crisp up; if you put toppings on now, your crust may get soggy. {oven}: Remove pizza from oven and top with sauce, cheese, and basil. Return pizza to oven and continue cooking until cheese is melted and bubbly, 8 to 12 minutes. Whisk together mayonnaise, olive oil (portion for salad), vinegar, and oregano (portion for salad). Toss dressing with lettuce, olives, and tomatoes. Season salad with some salt and black pepper. Slice pizza and serve with salad on the side. Enjoy!