Neapolitan Marinara

The Marinara predates the Margherita and, to a lot of pizzaioli, it's the true test. With no cheese to soften things, your dough and your tomatoes have to carry the whole pizza. Get it right and it's one of the most satisfying things you can eat.

Ingredients (per pizza)

• 1 sourdough base
• 80g raw tomato sauce
• 1–2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• Dried oregano
• Extra-virgin olive oil, sea salt, fresh basil (optional)

Method

1. Stretch the base and spread the sauce thinly to the rim border.
2. Scatter the sliced garlic evenly, then a good pinch of oregano.
3. Drizzle generously with olive oil — here it's a main ingredient, not a garnish.
4. Bake at 250°C+ until charred and puffed, 6–8 minutes.
5. Finish with a little more oregano, a few basil leaves and sea salt.

Slice the garlic thin so it softens rather than burns in the fierce heat. Raw, thick garlic on a pizza is a hard lesson learned only once.