Tomato Basil Pizza - Homemade pizza recipe made with fresh mozzarella and parmesan cheeses, fresh basil, garlic, and tomatoes.
In my house, we make homemade pizza's at least once per week. Mostly on Friday nights! It is a staple in our household that never seems to get old. We start with homemade pizza dough which is easier to make than you might think.
You can find my pizza dough link here. Keep in mind if you are making your own pizza dough from scratch, you'll need to set aside an additional hour and a half. You can also use your favorite store bought pizza dough. I know Trader Joe's has a pretty good one you may like - especially if you are in a time crunch.
I also always make my pizza sauce from scratch and it is unbelievably delicious. Store bought pizza sauce really doesn't compare to homemade in my opinion. But again, if you are in a time crunch by all means use store bought.
Fresh basil leaves and garlic add an amazing flavor to the traditional cheese pizza that is out of this world. I am so excited for you all to try this recipe because I am sure you'll enjoy it as much as I did! Serve your pizza with ranch dressing and red pepper flakes (optional).
This recipe makes one large pizza. If you are cooking for a crowd, you can double or even triple recipe.
Tools to have on hand when making pizza at home from scratch:
- Pizza Stone - A pizza stone works best when baking pizza, but you can also use a baking sheet.
- Measuring Spoons + Cups - For measuring ingredients.
- Cutting Board - For finely chopping garlic, and slicing tomatoes.
- Chef Knife - For finely chopping garlic, and slicing tomatoes.
- Parchment Paper - To prevent pizza from sticking while baking.
Ingredients you need to make Tomato Basil Pizza at home from scratch:
Pizza Dough - Try my pizza dough recipe here. Or you can use store bought.
Pizza Sauce - You'll need about 1 cup of pizza sauce. Try my super easy and delicious pizza sauce recipe here.
Mozzarella Cheese - You can use your favorite mozzarella cheese. I used a block and grated it but you can use pre-shredded or mozzarella balls.
Parmesan Cheese - I always use fresh parmesan and grate off block. But, you can use whatever parmesan cheese you have on hand.
Fresh Basil - Fresh basil is best in this recipe!
Tomatoes - I used cherry tomatoes, but you can use grape tomatoes, Roma tomatoes and more.
Fresh Garlic - Very finely chopped fresh garlic.
Cornmeal - For the bottom of the pizza. Cornmeal helps to easily stretch pizza without sticking.
How to make my delicious Tomato Basil Pizza:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Place pizza stone in oven to preheat for 20-30 minutes.
Sprinkle large sheet of parchment paper with cornmeal.
Stretch pizza dough into a large 12-14 inch circle depending on how big your pizza stone is.
Evenly spread pizza sauce on pizza dough leaving about a half inch to an inch around the edges. Sprinkle top evenly with mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Evenly spread tomatoes, garlic and fresh basil on top.
Gently and very carefully slide pizza with parchment paper onto hot pizza stone.
Bake for about 10 minutes until bottom is golden and top is bubbly.
Remove pizza from pizza stone and let cool slightly before slicing and serving. When ready, sprinkle pizza with red pepper flakes (optional). Enjoy!
Recipe Notes: If you don't have a pizza stone, you can also use a baking sheet. Just skip heating stone in the oven follow remaining instructions.
Try this pizza with my scrumptious homemade ranch dressing.
Side dishes that pair perfectly with pizza:
- Baked Potato Wedges - They are seasoned in paprika, garlic, salt, and onion seasonings then baked to golden perfection.
- Fried Zucchini - “Zucchini Fries” are the perfect appetizer or side dish dipped in your favorite marinara sauce or ranch dressing.
- Caesar Salad -My quick and easy caesar salad is made with homemade dressing, crunchy romaine, croutons and freshly grated parmesan cheese.
If you enjoyed this recipe, here are a few more pizza recipes I think you'll love:
- White Pizza with Bacon, Spinach and Mushroom -White pizza with bacon, spinach and mushroom inspired by one of my favorite pizzas.
- New York Cheese Pizza - This pizza has a thinner bottom crust but its still soft, and the pizza sauce is also homemade and is absolutely delicious!
- BBQ Chicken Pizza - This pizza is made with delicious shredded BBQ chicken, tangy homemade barbecue sauce, melt in your mouth caramelized onions, and finally topped off with some ooey gooey mozzarella cheese.
Tomato Basil Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 Pizza Dough
- 1 cup Pizza Sauce
- 1 cup Mozzarella Cheese shredded
- ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese shredded
- 15-20 Fresh Basil leaves
- 1 cup Cherry/Grape Tomatoes sliced in half
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Garlic finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon cornmeal
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Place pizza stone in oven to preheat for 20-30 minutes.
- Sprinkle large sheet of parchment paper with cornmeal.
- Stretch pizza dough into a large 12-14 inch circle depending on how big your pizza stone is.
- Evenly spread pizza sauce on pizza dough leaving about a half inch to an inch around the edges. Sprinkle top evenly with mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Evenly spread tomatoes, garlic and fresh basil on top.
- Gently and very carefully slide pizza with parchment paper onto hot pizza stone.
- Bake for about 10 minutes until bottom is golden and top is bubbly.
- Remove pizza from pizza stone and let cool slightly before slicing and serving. When ready, sprinkle pizza with red pepper flakes (optional). Enjoy!
Leave a Reply