Dish guides
What is a pizza margherita?
Pizza Margherita
A pizza margherita is the classic Neapolitan pizza topped with crushed tomato, mozzarella, fresh basil and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. It is the plainest pizza on almost every Italian menu and the one pizzerias are judged by. You'll find it at the top of the pizze section, often simply as "Margherita".
- At a glance
- Pizza margherita
- Neapolitan pizza with tomato, mozzarella, basil and olive oil.
- Pronunciation
- Say it like PEET-tsah mar-geh-REE-tah · IPA /ˈpittsa marɡeˈriːta/
- Also written as
- margherita, margherita pizza, pizza margarita, margherita con bufala, margheritta
What’s in it
Core ingredients
- pizza dough (wheat flour, water, salt, yeast)
- crushed peeled tomatoes
- mozzarella (fior di latte or buffalo)
- fresh basil
- extra virgin olive oil
Often added
- buffalo mozzarella (margherita con bufala)
- grated parmigiano or pecorino
- cherry tomatoes instead of crushed tomato
- oregano (more common outside Naples)
Allergens
| Allergen | How likely |
|---|---|
| Gluten | Typically contains |
| Dairy | Typically contains |
| Eggs | Rarely contains |
| Peanuts | Rarely contains |
| Tree nuts | Rarely contains |
| Shellfish | Rarely contains |
| Fish | Rarely contains |
| Soy | Rarely contains |
| Sesame | Rarely contains |
| Diet | Suitable? |
|---|---|
| Vegetarian | Usually — No meat or fish, but mozzarella is often made with calf rennet (buffalo mozzarella DOP always is), and so is any parmigiano reggiano grated on top. |
| Vegan | No |
| Pescatarian | Usually |
| Halal | Depends — It has no meat, but the cheese may be made with animal rennet and the oven and tools are usually shared with pork toppings. |
| Kosher | Depends — It has no meat, but kosher rules need certified cheese and a supervised kitchen, which ordinary pizzerias don't have. |
| Gluten-free | Depends — Only with a gluten-free base, which some pizzerias offer; ask how they keep it apart from wheat dough in the oven. |
Allergen and calorie details are AI estimates based on the menu and typical recipes. They can be incomplete — if you have a serious allergy, always check with the staff.
What's on a real margherita
A Neapolitan margherita has only a few ingredients, so each one matters. The dough is soft and stretched by hand, with a puffy, slightly charred rim called the cornicione. On top go hand-crushed peeled tomatoes, torn mozzarella, a few basil leaves and a thread of olive oil. Baked very briefly in a hot wood-fired oven, the centre stays soft and a little wet. That is normal in Naples, where many people eat it with a knife and fork.
The mozzarella is usually fior di latte (cow's milk). When a menu says con bufala or bufalina, it's made with buffalo mozzarella and usually costs a little more.
The queen and the legend
Pizzas with tomato, mozzarella and basil were already sold in Naples in the 19th century. The famous story says that in June 1889 the pizzaiolo Raffaele Esposito made one for Queen Margherita of Savoy. It showed the colours of the Italian flag, red, white and green, and was named after her. Historians doubt the tale: no newspaper of the time reported the visit, and the story was only widely promoted from the 1930s onwards. Today Neapolitan pizza is registered in the EU as a traditional speciality (TSG), and in 2017 UNESCO added the art of the Neapolitan pizzaiuolo to its intangible heritage list.
Typical price
Median price 8 EUR
Typical range 6–10.5 EUR.
Median of 53 menus, 2025-04 – 2026-04. Basis: Italian-language menus scanned with MenuGuide.
How to order it
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Una margherita, per favore. | A margherita, please. |
| La mozzarella è di bufala o fior di latte? | Is the mozzarella buffalo or cow's milk? |
| Avete una base senza glutine? | Do you have a gluten-free base? |
Not to be confused with
- Pizza marinara — Tomato, garlic, oregano and olive oil, with no cheese at all.
- Pizza quattro formaggi — Four cheeses, often with no tomato; no basil.
- Bruschetta — Toasted bread topped with fresh tomato and basil, served as a starter.
Frequently asked questions
What is on a margherita pizza?
A margherita has tomato, mozzarella, fresh basil and extra virgin olive oil on a wheat-flour dough; in Naples that's the whole recipe. Some pizzerias add a little grated parmigiano or pecorino. If you see "con bufala" on the menu, the mozzarella is made from buffalo milk instead of cow's milk, which gives a richer, tangier taste.
Is pizza margherita vegetarian?
Usually yes: it has no meat or fish. Strict vegetarians should know that mozzarella is often made with calf rennet (buffalo mozzarella DOP always is), and so is parmigiano reggiano. If that matters to you, ask which rennet the mozzarella is made with and whether any grated cheese goes on top.
How do you pronounce margherita?
Say mar-geh-REE-tah, with a hard g as in "get" and the stress on "REE": in IPA, [marɡeˈriːta]. The h after the g in Italian simply keeps the g hard. Pizza is PEET-tsah, with a double "ts" sound. Waiters will also understand "margarita", the Spanish spelling you'll see on many menus in Spain.
Is a margherita pizza gluten free?
No, the standard dough is made from wheat flour. Many pizzerias in Italy offer a gluten-free base (base senza glutine) on request, sometimes for a small extra charge. If you need to avoid cross-contact, ask whether the gluten-free pizzas are prepared and baked separately, because flour is everywhere in a pizzeria.
What's the difference between a margherita and a marinara?
The margherita has mozzarella and basil; the marinara has no cheese. A marinara is topped with tomato, garlic, oregano and olive oil, and is one of the oldest Neapolitan pizzas. Despite its name, a pizza marinara has no seafood. It's usually the only classic pizza on the menu made without cheese.
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