Using our homemade pizza dough, we have now created several pizza recipes like white vegetable, barbeque chicken, and others. After doing some research I wanted to make a more classic pizza- like they make in Naples -by using fresh quality ingredients, keeping it simple, and great tasting! This is one of the recipes in Bob Johnson’s cookbook, The Left Over Ranch Cookbook: Memories on a Plate in the Pizza and Pasta chapter.

Bob Johnson

Classic Style Napoli Pizza

Inspired by the pizzas of Naples, this recipe keeps it beautifully simple, quality San Marzano tomatoes, fresh ricotta, ripe tomatoes, and fragrant basil. Sometimes the best pizza is the one that lets great ingredients speak for themselves.

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 12

Total Time 32

Servings: 3

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: American, Italian

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

12 oz pizza dough homemade or store bought
14 oz San Marzano tomatoes peeled and lightly crushed (about half a can)
4 oz ricotta cheese or mozzarella
1 large tomato or 2-3 Roma tomatoes, cored and sliced thin
1 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp freshly grated Romano cheese
½ cup fresh basil leaves about 1 handful
1 tbsp good olive oil
semolina flour for dusting

Equipment

Pizza steel, stone or cast iron pizza pan
Pizza peel

Method

Prepare the oven and dough. Heat oven to 450°F with the pizza steel or stone inside. Allow it to heat for 20-30 minutes — this is essential for a crispy crust. Roll out the dough to approximately 13 inches, shape to fit the peel, and place on a pizza peel dusted generously with semolina flour.
Top the pizza. Spread the crushed San Marzano tomatoes across the dough leaving a border for the crust. Layer on the sliced fresh tomatoes, then add dollops of ricotta or mozzarella evenly across the top. Sprinkle the Parmesan and Romano over everything.
Bake. Slide the pizza onto the hot steel or stone and bake for about 12 minutes, rotating 90 degrees a couple of times as it cooks, until the cheese begins to brown on top.
Finish and serve. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for several minutes. Drizzle with good olive oil and scatter the fresh basil leaves over the top. Cut into pieces and serve.

Notes

Less is genuinely more here. San Marzano tomatoes are worth seeking out at a specialty grocery store; their sweetness and low acidity make a noticeable difference. Add the fresh basil after the pizza comes out of the oven, heat destroys its delicate flavor and color. For the dough, store bought works perfectly or try Chef Rider's Easy Homemade Pizza Dough from AllRecipes. This recipe appears in the Left Over Ranch Cookbook.