Home > Recipes > Pizza recipes > Lighter pizza margherita

Lighter pizza margherita

A thinner base and less cheese means this classic Italian crowd-pleaser keeps its charm but sheds a few calories.

Or if you want something a little more decadent for the weekend, make our ultimate margherita pizza recipe instead.

A thinner base and less cheese means this classic Italian crowd-pleaser keeps its charm but sheds a few calories.

Or if you want something a little more decadent for the weekend, make our ultimate margherita pizza recipe instead.

Ingredients

For the base

For the topping

Cook Mode Sticky screen? No thanks! Tap to prevent your screen from going off while cooking.

First make the topping. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over a medium-high heat and fry the onion for 5 minutes until soft, then add the garlic and cook for another minute. Pour in the passata and gently simmer for 15 minutes, then season to taste. Remove from the heat, stir in the chopped basil and set aside while you make the base.
Heat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/ gas 7. To make the base, mix the flour, 100ml tepid water and a pinch of salt in a large bowl using a wooden spoon. When it starts to come together and form a sticky dough, turn it out onto a liberally floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes with floured hands until it forms an elastic dough – it should be smooth, a little wet and no longer sticky. Sprinkle more flour onto the surface, then roll out the dough to the thickness of a £1 coin. Lift onto a lightly floured baking sheet, then bake for 8-10 minutes until lightly golden and puffed up at the edges.
Spread the sauce thinly over the base, leaving a 2cm border around the edge for a crust, then top with the mozzarella and put the pizza back in the oven for 5-6 minutes until the cheese has melted. Top with the whole basil leaves and serve immediately.

Nutrition: per serving

Add other toppings, such as sliced salami, blanched baby veg, halved olives, anchovy fillets or artichokes.

You can use cheaper mozzarella (sold in blocks, often as cooking mozzarella) for pizzas. The fresh stuff can release too much moisture during cooking.