Quick Fresh Buffalo Margherita Pizza   Veg   HT  MC  Italian  25mins

The Margherita pizza is named after Queen Marghereta who went to Naples in 1899 to escape a cholera epidemic in the north of Italy. Chef Raffaelle Esposito used tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and basil to imitate the colours of the Italian flag and when Queen Marghereta wrote to him to say how much she liked it, he decided to name the pizza after her.

Serves 2 - 4      Hot  Vegetarian   Herbs  Main Course   Italy   Europe

Ingredients
For the tomato sauce
1 x 400g/14oz tin Chopped Tomatoes
½ teasp Sugar
1 tbsp Tomato Paste
1 tbsp Freshly chopped Parsley
Salt and Black Pepper
For the Base
200g/7oz Self Raising Flour
¼ teasp Salt
1 tbsp Olive Oil
Approx 90ml/3fl.oz. Warm Water
For the topping
2 Medium Buffalo Mozzarella Balls, sliced

3 Large Tomatoes, sliced

12  Fresh Basil Leaves

Instructions

1. Before you start preparing your ingredients, preheat the oven to 220C, 425F, Gas Mark 7.

2. Place the tinned tomatoes, sugar, tomato paste and herbs in a medium si saucepan or frying pan, season with salt and plenty of black pepper and bring to the boil over a high heat, stirring to mix well. Continue to cook over a high heat, stirring frequently, to reduce to a thick consistency.

3. Meanwhile, make the base by placing the flour, salt, olive oil and water in a large mixing bowl. Mix well with a knife until a dough starts to form then pull together with your fingers, adding a very little more water if necessary to form a firm dough.

4. Knead the dough in the bowl for a couple of minutes then turn onto a floured surface and continue to knead for a further 3-4 minutes until you have a firm elastic dough.

5. Check the tomato sauce and reduce the heat if necessary. Roll the dough out using a lightly floured rolling pin to a thickness of about 6mm/¼-inch and place on a large baking tray. If you prefer, you can divide the dough into two pieces and roll each out as above.

6. By now, the tomatoes will have rendered down into a thick mixture. Spread it evenly over the dough.

7. Arrange the sliced cheese, tomatoes and basil leaves over the top, drizzle with a little olive oil then bake in the hot oven for 8-10 minutes until golden brown.

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