Thin-Crust Italian Margherita Pizza with Fresh Basil

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-06-09 · Updated 2026-06-09

How this recipe was made — this recipe was drafted by AislePrompt's AI-assisted pipeline from technique templates and USDA-sourced nutrition data, and published by AislePrompt Editorial — see how AislePrompt recipes are developed and reviewed.

A classic Italian pizza featuring a crisp thin crust topped with tangy tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, and fragrant basil leaves. This Italian-inspired pizza recipe, ready in about 27 minutes, pairs pizza dough, olive oil, crushed tomatoes for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 320 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Prep: 15 min Cook: 12 min Serves 4 Italian cuisine 320 cal/serving

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Ingredients

1 lb, store-bought or homemade pizza dough
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup crushed tomatoes
1, minced garlic clove
8 oz, sliced fresh mozzarella cheese
12-15 fresh basil leaves
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp, for dusting cornmeal

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Instructions

Step 1: Preheat oven to 475°F and place a pizza stone or inverted baking sheet on the middle rack to heat for 30 minutes. Lightly dust a pizza peel or flat baking tray with 1 tbsp cornmeal.
Step 2: On a floured surface, roll out 1 lb pizza dough into a 12-inch circle about 1/8-inch thick. Transfer to the prepared peel.
Step 3: Brush the dough edges with 1 tbsp olive oil. Spread 1/2 cup crushed tomatoes evenly over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border.
Step 4: Sprinkle 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, and 1/4 tsp dried oregano over the tomato sauce.
Step 5: Arrange 8 oz sliced fresh mozzarella evenly on top of the sauce.
Step 6: Slide the pizza onto the preheated stone or baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes until the crust is golden and cheese is bubbly and slightly browned.
Step 7: Remove pizza from oven and immediately scatter 12-15 fresh basil leaves over the top before slicing and serving.