This Mozzarella Tomato Pizza is a fresh spin on pizza night! Made with fresh tomatoes, sharp arugula, olive oil, garlic and fresh mozzarella, this Easy Tomato Pizza is fresh, cheesy, and just delicious!
If you love mozzarella and tomatoes together, you will also love Caprese Pasta Salad, Caprese Salad, and Mozzarella and Tomato Quinoa Bake.
Fresh Tomato Pizza
My most favorite way to eat pizza, other than sitting in NYC at a Pizza parlor, is to make a simple Fresh Mozzarella and Tomato Pizza–with a garlic infused olive oil base.
The simplicity of the ingredients come together to create a fresh and delicious easy pizza. The freshness of ripe tomatoes, the melty mozzarella, the sharp arugula, and the bite from garlic form a pizza that is absolutely irresistible.
Ingredients
Because there are so few ingredients in this Mozzarella Pizza, selecting the best ingredients is key for the best flavor!
- Pizza Dough–I use my homemade pizza dough, but any store bought dough works. You will need 16 ounces of dough.
- Fresh Mozzarella–Fresh is best for mozzarella that melts beautifully and has the most flavor. Pre-shredded cheese can be used, but fresh mozzarella is worth the extra couple dollars for this recipe.
- Olive Oil–Extra virgin olive oil is a must!
- Garlic–Freshly minced garlic or jarred minced garlic work well for this pizza. If you are not a garlic lover, you can sprinkle the pizza dough with garlic powder for a tiny bit of flavor added.
- Oregano–A bit of dried oregano adds another dimension of flavor.
- Fresh Tomatoes–Heirloom or Vine-Ripened tomatoes that have been seeded are the best for this Tomato Pizza. The BEST time to make this pizza is when you have fresh garden tomatoes. I do not recommend roma tomatoes, as their flavor is not as robust as heirloom or vine-ripened tomatoes.
- Arugula–Arugula gives this pizza a sharp, peppery bite, which cuts through the richness of the cheese and olive oil. Feel free to use spinach or fresh basil in place of the arugula. I prefer Arugula to the basil, as basil has a bit of licorice taste. Spinach is a nice touch as well but does not add as much flavor as the arugula.
How to make Mozzarella and Tomato Pizza
Step One: Prepare Pizza Dough
- Prepare homemade whole wheat pizza dough if using.
- Lightly grease a 16 inch pizza pan with olive oil.
- Roll out the pizza dough to about 1/4 inch.
- Brush olive oil over surface of pizza dough and then season evenly with oregano and garlic.
Step Two: Prepare Tomatoes
One of the secrets to this delicious fresh summer tomato pizza is of course the fresh tomatoes. However, vine-ripened and heirloom tomatoes are full of seeds and if the seeds are not removed, your pizza can easily become soggy. And no one wants a soggy pizza. To avoid that disaster, simply de-seed the tomatoes first.
- To remove the seeds from tomatoes, slice open and use a spoon or melon baller to scoop out the seeds gently or give the tomato a gentle squeeze over the sink/trash bin and most of the seeds will come out on their own.
- Slice the tomatoes into 1/4 inch slices.
Step Three: Prepare Pizza
- Lay out the tomatoes evenly over the pizza dough and top with arugula.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Lay fresh mozzarella slices over the tomatoes and arugula over the pizza.
Step Four: Bake the tomato pizza.
- Bake until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is nicely melted.
More Pizza Recipes
- Taco Pizza
- English Muffin Pizzas
- Buffalo Chicken Pizza
- Easy Spinach Pizza
- Pita Pizza
- Grilled Pulled Pork Pizza
Fresh Tomato Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 pound pizza dough
- 2 vine-ripened tomatoes sliced and seeded
- 1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese
- 1 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 cup arugula
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Prepare the homemade pizza dough OR store bought dough.
- Brush a pizza pan or cookie sheet with olive oil or non-stick spray. Roll the pizza dough out in a thin 1/4 inch circle.
- Spread the dough with the oil and then spread the garlic over the oil. Sprinkle the oregano and salt and pepper evenly over the crust.
- Arrange the tomatoes and arugula evenly over the crust. Season the tomatoes with salt and pepper as well. Then spread out the mozzarella evenly.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until crust is nicely browned.
Notes
- Feel free to use spinach or even basil in place of arugula for this pizza.
- While fresh mozzarella cheese is best, grated mozzarella can be substituted.
- It is critical to de-seed tomatoes before adding to the pizza to prevent a soggy pizza crust.
- If you like spice, you may want to add 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes.
Kristen Chidsey
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