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Pizza Marinara

Pizza Marinara is a cheeseless Neapolitan pizza featuring fresh thinly sliced garlic, oregano, and a drizzle of olive oil to finish. While it features the simplest of ingredients, the flavor is anything but simple.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
30 mins
Servings: 2 pizzas
Calories: 625 kcal
Course: Main Course , Appetizer , Snacks
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces (225 grams) canned San Marzano tomatoes (about 5 tomatoes plus some of the puree)
  • kosher salt or fine sea salt
  • 1 pound (450 grams) pizza dough (store-bought or homemade) divided into 2 balls (8 ounces or 225 grams each)
  • all-purpose flour for dusting work surface
  • semolina flour (optional - for dusting pizza peel)
  • 2 cloves garlic thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves (lightly packed)
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Place a large pizza stone in the center of your oven and preheat to the hottest temperature possible, usually 500°F (260°C). Ideally, preheat the pizza stone in the oven for at least 30 minutes, but preferably 45 to 60 minutes to ensure it retains as much heat as possible before baking your pizzas. If you have a pizza oven, such as an Ooni pizza oven, heat it to 850°F (455°C).
  2. Either crush the canned San Marzano tomatoes by hand in a bowl, process through a food mill, or pulse in a food processor until fairly smooth but still slightly textured. Add a big pinch or two of kosher or fine sea salt and stir to combine. Taste and add more if desired.
  3. Working with one ball of pizza dough at a time (approximately 8 ounces or 225 grams each), stretch out the dough on a lightly floured work surface. Press the dough with your fingers starting in the center and pushing out toward the edges to create a flat disc. Then place your fists under the edges of the dough and support the disc with your knuckles as you lift the edges and continue to stretch the dough. Gently pull it wider and wider until the dough reaches a diameter of 10 to 12 inches.
  4. Lightly dust a pizza peel with all-purpose flour or semolina flour if you have some. Transfer the stretched disc of pizza dough to the peel.
  5. Spread half the crushed tomatoes over the dough using the back of a large spoon in a circular motion starting at the center and moving outward. Leave about ½-inch rim without sauce at the edges. Sprinkle half the sliced garlic over the top evenly.
  6. ​​Use the pizza peel to carefully transfer the pizza onto the preheated pizza stone with quick, jerking wrist motions. Bake and crust is nicely browned, about 8 to 10 minutes in the regular oven (or 1 to 2 minutes in the specialty pizza oven).
  7. While the first pizza is baking you can stretch the remaining pizza dough. You’ll need the peel to remove the first pizza from the oven, so wait to finish assembling the second pizza until after the first one comes out of the oven. If you have enough room in your pizza oven or on your pizza stone, you can bake both pizzas simultaneously. Otherwise, after the first pizza comes out of the oven, finish assembling and then bake the second pizza.
  8. Remove the finished pizza from the oven, sprinkle half the fresh oregano and a pinch of salt over the top. Drizzle with half the extra-virgin olive oil in a circular motion starting from the center and working outward. Slice into wedges and serve immediately.

Notes

  • Dough: In order to follow the authentic requirements of Neapolitan-style pizza, your dough would be made with type 0 or type 00 wheat flour, fresh (not dry) yeast, water and salt. I take the liberty of a shortcut here and suggest using any homemade or store-bought pizza dough, however you could certainly make Neapolitan-style pizza dough with the traditional ingredients if you’d like.
  • Tomatoes: Neapolitan pizza is made with pureed San Marzano tomatoes from Italy. You can purchase canned San Marzano tomatoes imported from Italy, and they work perfectly here. Just beware of imitations which are sometimes labeled as San Marzano-style tomatoes and the like. Cento is the brand I typically buy for recipes requiring authentic canned San Marzano tomatoes.
  • Garlic: Make sure your garlic is fresh and hasn’t sprouted. Peel and slice the cloves thinly with a sharp knife.
  • Oregano: Although I typically prefer dried oregano to fresh, this is one instance where using fresh oregano leaves is worth it. That being said, you could use about half the amount of dried oregano if you needed to.
  • Pizza Stone: I recommend using a large rectangular pizza stone which is large enough to cook two pizzas. I also suggest getting one that is at least ½-inch thick. It will retain the heat a lot better if it's thicker. Thinner pizza stones don't do as good a job of this.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1pizza Calories 625kcal (31%) Carbohydrates 108g (36%) Protein 17g (34%) Fat 11g (17%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 8g Sodium 722mg (30%) Potassium 340mg (10%) Fiber 5g (20%) Sugar 8g (16%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 2pizzas

Amount Per Serving

Calories 625

% Daily Value*

Serving 1pizza
Calories 625kcal 31%
Carbohydrates 108g 36%
Protein 17g 34%
Fat 11g 17%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 8g 40%
Sodium 722mg 30%
Potassium 340mg 7%
Fiber 5g 20%
Sugar 8g 16%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.