Recipe - Pizza With Tomato Mozzarella And Basil

3 tablespoon Olive oil
1 Clove garlic, finely chopped
2 cup Canned plum tomatoes,
crushed by hand, seeds
removed
One half teaspoon Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon Dry oregano
2 12 inch pizza crusts
4 tablespoon Grated Parmesan cheese
One half pound Fresh mozzarella, thinly
cut or sliced up
8 Basil leaves
Ceramic pizza stone
Pizza peel

Set the pizza stone into a cold oven and preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

In a small sauce pan set over a low flame, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute before adding the tomatoes. Season the
tomatoes with the salt, pepper and oregano and cup ook over medium heat for
10 minutes.

Working on a lightly floured surface, pat one of the pizza dough balls into
a flat round shape, working from the center outward. While forming the
shape of a pizza crust, work with the tips of the fi ngers and form a
1/2inch thick edge. Continue to work outward trying to achieve as even a
thickness as possible.

When the pizza dough is formed into shape transfer the dough to the peel
and drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the surface. Sprinkle half the
Parmesan cheese evenly over the oiled pizza dough an d spoon 3 tablespoons
of sauce over the surface. Evenly spread half of the mozzarella over the
tomato and finish building your pizza with a few basil leaves roughly torn
by hand. Place the pizza onto the pizza stone in the oven by sliding the
pizza off of the peel and onto the hot stone. Repeat the process for the
second pizza. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the surface is bubbling
and the b ottom of the crust is well browned.

Recipe by: Michael Lomonaco

Posted to MCRecipe Digest V1 #505 by "Master Harper Gaellon"
gaellon@inch.com on Mar 8, 1997.