Makes 4 pizzas

The quintessential pizza, named for Italy's Queen Margherita and sporting the colors of the Italian flag. Don't worry if the pizzas aren't perfectly round—in fact, they will look much more appealing if they are not. But be sure to let the dough set and firm up on the grill before flipping it over, or it may stick or tear. I once rushed this step on a live taping of Good Morning America, with disastrous results, so wait... just wait!

Pizza Dough (page 66)
1 cup simple tomato sauce (I like Pomì strained tomatoes)
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
About ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
24 fresh basil leaves
Coarse sea salt

Prepare a gas or charcoal grill for indirect grilling. For an even crisper crust, put a piastra (see page 9) on the hottest part of the grill to preheat.

Divide the dough into 4 pieces and shape each one into a ball. Let rest for 15 minutes, loosely covered with a tea towel or plastic wrap.

Using a floured rolling pin or your hands, stretch each ball into a 9- to 10-inch round (the shape doesn't have to be perfect). Carefully lay one round of dough on the piastra or over the hottest part of the grill and cook until the bottom is lightly browned and dry, about 2 minutes. Using tongs, gently lift up the dough, flip over, and cook for just 30 seconds. Transfer to a baking sheet, with the less cooked side up, and repeat with the remaining dough rounds. Let cool.

Divide the sauce among the partially cooked pizzas and, using the back of a kitchen spoon, spread it evenly to within ½ inch of the edges of the dough. Divide the cheese among the pizzas.

Place 1 or 2 pizzas at a time on the cooler part of the grill and cook until the cheese is melted and the bottoms are crisp and golden brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and drizzle with a little olive oil. Scatter 6 torn basil leaves over each pizza and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Cut into slices with a pizzawheel and serve hot.

Copyright © 2008 by Mario Batali. All rights reserved.