Yogurtsoda Gratuitous food and travel.

i haven’t forgotten about my blog, i swear. i just haven’t had the time to update it. in any case, a few weeks back i made the most wonderful, simplest pizza margherita. i went a bit heavy on the sauce, but it was otherwise delicious:

pizza margherita

also:

wild mushroom bisque with arugula pesto

mozzarella, olive, and sun-dried tomato panini

molten marshmallow-chocolate cupcakes

here’s the recipe for the pizza:

2 t olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3/4 cup chopped basil plus one handful whole leaves
1/4 t red chili flakes
1 can plum tomatoes
sea salt
fresh ground pepper
balsamic vinegar
1/2 lb fresh mozzarella, sliced
1 lb prepared herb pizza dough
flour, for dusting

1. saute the garlic in olive oil over low heat with the chili for about a minute.
2. add the tomatoes, taking care to keep the tomatoes whole (tomato seeds can make the sauce a little bitter). season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste and simmer the sauce gently for 45 minutes.
3. break the tomatoes up with a spoon, mashing them up slightly. mix in a spoon or two of balsamic vinegar, mix in basil and let sauce cool.
4. meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450F. on a floured surface, roll out the pizza dough to desired thinness and spread 1 cup of sauce on top. scatter mozzarella slices and basil leaves on pizza and cook in oven for 15 minutes.
5. remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.