Mario Batali's Pizza Margherita
The expert chef joined "GMA" to show off some delish late-night dishes.
March 6, 2009 — -- Sometimes after a long day you just want to kick back, settle in and enjoy the sweet taste of a late-night Italian dish.
Luckily expert chef Mario Batali has come to the rescue with several delicious Italy-inspired dishes to deal with those late-night cravings.
Check out his recipe for Pizza Margherita below or click on one of his other dishes to see those recipes. Then head to the "GMA" recipe section for many, many more meal ideas.
Pollo al Mattone With Treviso and Oranges
Pizza With Meatballs, Jalapenos and Fontina
Pizza Margherita
Yield: 4 Pizzas
Ingredients:
1 cup simple tomato sauce (I like Pomì strained tomatoes)
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
About ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
24 fresh basil leaves
Coarse sea salt
Directions:
1. Prepare a gas or charcoal grill for indirect grilling.
2. Divide the dough into 4 pieces and shape each one into a ball. Let rest for 15 minutes, loosely covered with a tea towel or plastic wrap.
3. Using a floured rolling pin or your hands, stretch each ball into a 9- to 10-inch round (the shape doesn't have to be perfect). Carefully lay one round of dough over the hottest part of the grill and cook until the bottom is lightly browned and dry, about 2 minutes. Using tongs, gently lift up the dough, flip over and cook for just 30 seconds. Transfer to a baking sheet, with the less cooked side up, and repeat with the remaining dough rounds. Let cool.
4. Divide the sauce among the partially cooked pizzas and, using the back of a kitchen spoon, spread it evenly to within ½ inch of the edges of the dough. Divide the cheese among the pizzas.
5. Place 1 or 2 pizzas at a time on the cooler part of the grill and cook until the cheese is melted and the bottoms are crisp and golden brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and drizzle with a little olive oil. Scatter 6 torn basil leaves over each pizza and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Cut into slices with a pizza wheel and serve hot.