Margherita Pizza with Puff Pastry

This Margherita Pizza with Puff Pastry is a quick and easy way to make an appetizer-worthy pizza with your favorite toppings!

Just like this simple Smoked Salmon Puff Pastry appetizer, this easy pizza uses the ready-to-cook properties of puff pastry to create a fast but tasty appetizer that will be a crowd pleasing center piece.

Customize with your favorite toppings for the ultimate cheesy appetizer! 

Why You’ll Love this Margherita Pizza Recipe

With juicy tomatoes, basil leaves, flavorful tomato sauce, and fresh mozzarella, it doesn’t get any more classic than this!

But with a twist: this pizza uses puff pastry instead of your traditional pizza dough recipe.

This leads to a Margherita pizza that has all of the flavors you know and love with a lighter finish. It’s perfect for a shareable appetizer!

You’ll need only 5 ingredients to get this pizza together, but the best part of any pizza recipe is the option to customize. Start with the staple ingredients as a base and add anything else you crave.

Next time you need a quick and foolproof appetizer, try this puff pastry Margherita pizza! It’s similar to the Margherita pizza from Costco but completely homemade.

If you’re enjoying this on date night, why not start off with this adorable heart shaped charcuterie board loaded with meats, cheese, crackers and candies too!

And, with your extra sheet of puff pastry, make these yummy baked Loaded Potato bites – full of cheese and bacon!

 

Ingredients

• puff pastry – makes for a quick and flaky crust that yields a completely different take on the Margherita pizza you know and love!
• pizza sauce – feel free to make your own or go with your favorite store bought variety.
• shredded mozzarella cheese – mozzarella is always the way to go with pizza, but don’t be afraid to use larger pieces of fresh mozzarella instead of or in addition to the shredded.
• tomato – a good San Marzano tomato is excellent for this pizza, but anything that’s fresh and juicy will do the trick.
• fresh basil – the classic herb that adds a burst of fresh flavor that compliments the tomato and takes your pizza to the next level!

 

Instructions

1. Thaw your puff pastry sheet by leaving it out at room temperature for 40 minutes. Preheat the oven to 425 F and line a baking sheet or pizza stone with parchment paper.
   

   Poking holes in the puff pastry ensures there won’t be any large air bubbles.

2. Roll the puff pastry sheet to desired shape and flatten it out. I kept mine at about 11×13. Use the tip of a sharp knife to score a border ½ inch from the edge of the puff pastry sheet, making sure not to cut all the way through.
3. Lightly brush the entire pastry sheet with oil. Transfer the pastry sheet to the sheet pan or baking stone and bake for 10 minutes until golden. If you have a pizza peel, you may also be able to place it directly on the rack, though this may work better for traditional pizza dough.
   

   Baking the pastry before adding toppings ensures that it holds its shape and supports everything properly.

4. When the pastry is done baking, it will be puffed up. You can lightly push down the center to make room for sauce and cheese.
5. Add the pizza sauce and spread it around. Don’t put too much as you don’t want it to be soggy.
   

   Use your favorite pizza sauce to make this puff pastry pizza a hit!

6. Wash and slice your tomato and basil. Top with mozzarella cheese and tomato slices then put it in the oven for 10 more minutes.
   

   This pizza is so satisfying and SO easy to make!

7. Remove from the oven and garnish with fresh basil leaves and enjoy!

 

FAQs

Why is it called a Margherita pizza?

This dish was invented in 1889 to celebrate Margherita of Savoy and the Italian unification.

The three major toppings of basil, mozzarella, and tomato are meant to represent the colors of the Italian flag.

These ingredients were popular in Naples, Italy at the time, and Margherita pizza is also very similar to Neapolitan pizza, which is a pizza topped with just tomatoes and mozzarella.

How many calories in a slice of Margherita pizza?

This recipe has 93 calories per slice, making it a light pizza variety that you can feel confident about serving to your family and friends!

How many carbs in a slice of Margherita pizza?

There are about 5 carbs in each slice of pizza.

What makes a Margherita pizza different?

One major difference is typically in the cheese–Margherita pizza uses thinly sliced fresh mozzarella instead of shredded. I’ve found both work well for this recipe!

Most Margherita pizza also has some kind of drizzle of extra virgin olive oil or a similar ingredient. Feel free to add that, but I like to keep mine light as possible.

 

 

Popular Variations and Substitutions

• For a burst of extra flavor, drizzle with some balsamic glaze or a nice dash of your favorite olive oil.
• If you find the puff pastry is hard to work with, a light dusting of all purpose flour may help you wrangle the dough.
• Make this a chicken Margherita pizza by adding some chunks of grilled or baked chicken breast.
• For a slightly different take, you can make Margherita pizza on the grill. This may work better with classic pizza dough, or you may want to first give the puff pastry a few minutes in the oven.
• You can make your own homemade pizza sauce by blending tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, Italian seasoning, red wine vinegar, and red pepper flakes in a food processor. You can also add some honey if you like things on the sweeter side.

 

More Recipes You’ll Love

• Italian Margarita – Pair your homemade pizza with one of these cocktails featuring signature Italian flavors to whisk yourself away on an Italian vacation!
• Pizza Wontons – Adorable handheld pizzas that can be customized to your liking. Great for parties!
• Peach Lemonade Jello Shots – Sweet and tangy, these jello shots combine all the best flavors of summer into one cute cup.
• No Churn Neapolitan Ice Cream – Serve this sweet dessert from Curly Girl Kitchen after your pizza and you’ll feel like you’re right in the Italian countryside!

 

Puff Pastry Margherita Pizza