Long Live the Queen.....Queen Margherita, that is.

Nope, I didn't misspell it, I'm not talking about the drink. I'm talking about the pizza!! Margherita Pizza. You may or may not have heard of it....I had never heard of it until I took my first cruise, and it was available in the Pizzeria 24 hours a day. It was very popular, they almost never had it already made. You always had to wait on it. That was OK though, because that meant it was always FRESH!!

Now it's a funny name for a pizza, and it gives nothing away about the ingredients (unless you happen to be an expert in Italian history...or you've cheated and used Google). But as I've already hinted at in the title, the pizza is named after Queen Margherita, wife of King Umberto I, who ruled Italy from 1878 to 1900 (it coulda been longer, but he was assassinated during a time of social upheaval). But I digress....In 1899, Queen Margherita visited Naples to escape a cholera epidemic in Northern Italy. Italian Chef Raffaelle Esposito wanted to honor the Queen with a special meal. He concocted a pizza made with Tomatoes, Mozzarella Cheese, and Basil - the colors of the Italian Flag: Red, White, and Green. Queen Margherita liked the pie so much, it is said she hand wrote a note to the chef thanking him for the pizza. The rest, as they say, is history.

You can recreate the famous meal in your own kitchen. It's super easy when you use already made dough.

Margherita Pizza -- Preheat oven to 375.

1 8 oz can of Crescent Rolls (or substitute your favorite refrigerated dough -
I used the reduced fat crescents)
2 TBSP olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 Cup + 1/4 Cup Mozzarella cheese (divided)
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced (or your favorite variety)
2 pinches sea salt
2 TBSP chopped fresh basil

Unroll the crescent rolls and divide into two rectangles. Pinch seams together. Brush each rectangle with 1 TBSP olive oil. Press 1 clove garlic over each rectangle. Sprinkle dough with 1 cup of Mozzarella cheese. Lay tomato slices on top of cheese, overlapping slightly. Sprinkle tomatoes with a pinch of sea salt. Top tomatoes with the left over cheese. Bake at 375 for 12 - 15 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh basil when you remove from the oven.

Oh this makes me want to go on a cruise!!!!