Pizza

Michael Eisenwasser

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A gluten-free margherita pizza with low-FODMAP marinara, mozzarella, fresh basil, and a garlic-infused oil drizzle.

Prep 10 min

Cook 15 min

Serves 4

Gluten-free

Ingredients

Crust

• 1 pre-made gluten-free pizza crust (12-inch), label checked for inulin and chicory root — Schär and Cappello's are currently clean. Or make from scratch with a low-FODMAP gluten-free flour blend.

Sauce, Cheese, and Toppings

• 1/2 cup low-FODMAP marinara sauce
• 5 oz (140 g) fresh mozzarella, sliced or torn (about 35 g per serve, under the 40 g Monash cap)
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
• 2 tablespoons garlic-infused olive oil, for drizzling
• Pinch of flaky salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Preheat and Prep

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C) with a baking sheet or pizza stone inside. A hot surface is what gives the crust a crisp bottom.
2. If using a pre-made crust, follow any pre-bake instructions on the package. Some brands want 2 to 3 minutes of dry bake before topping.
3. Pat the fresh mozzarella dry with paper towels. Wet mozzarella steams the crust and leaves puddles on top.

Top and Bake

1. Spread the marinara in a thin, even layer across the crust, leaving a 1/2-inch border.
2. Arrange the mozzarella over the sauce, spacing the pieces evenly so every slice gets cheese.
3. Transfer the pizza to the preheated stone or sheet. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes (check at 8, since gluten-free crusts brown fast), until the cheese is bubbling and the crust edges are golden.
4. Remove from the oven. Scatter the torn basil over the top, drizzle with garlic-infused oil, and finish with flaky salt and black pepper.
5. Let the pizza rest for 2 minutes before slicing into 4 pieces.

Tips & Substitutions

• Check the crust label every time. Many gluten-free pizza crusts include inulin, chicory root fiber, onion/garlic powder, apple or pear juice concentrate, or honey. Formulations change, so read the label each shop; Schär and Cappello's are currently clean. If you can't find those, make your own with a low-FODMAP gluten-free flour blend or use a long-fermented spelt sourdough (low-FODMAP at Monash at the tested serve, but not gluten-free).
• Keep mozzarella at the Monash serve. Mozzarella is low-FODMAP at 40 g per serve. Five ounces across four slices keeps each portion under the limit. Use lactose-free mozzarella if you're lactose-sensitive.
• Drizzle the oil after baking. Raw-tasting garlic-infused oil finishing the pizza tastes stronger than oil that's been baked into the sauce.
• Topping swaps that stay low-FODMAP. Pepperoni (label checked for onion and garlic), cooked chicken, prosciutto, sliced red bell pepper (75 g per serve), zucchini ribbons (65 g per serve), cherry tomatoes (5 per serve), green olives (15 per serve), and arugula after baking are all fine at standard amounts.
• Toppings to avoid. Caramelized onions, raw or roasted garlic cloves, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, and a heavy hand with sun-dried tomatoes can push the pizza over the limit even on a clean crust.
• Par-bake the crust for a crispier bottom. Bake the naked crust for 3 minutes before saucing. This sets the surface so it doesn't absorb the marinara.

Why This Works

The crust is the trap. Most commercial gluten-free pizza crusts add inulin or chicory root fiber for texture, and both are high-FODMAP fructans. Choosing a clean brand or baking from scratch removes the biggest hidden load on the plate.

Marinara does the aromatic work. The low-FODMAP marinara already uses garlic-infused olive oil and scallion greens, so the sauce tastes like pizza sauce without any fructans from bulb garlic or onion.

Mozzarella is naturally low in lactose. Aged and whey-drained cheeses lose most of their lactose during production. Monash lists mozzarella as low-FODMAP at 40 g per serve, which is what each slice here delivers.

Finishing oil beats baked-in oil. Fructans are water-soluble and don't dissolve into oil, so a garlic-infused olive oil carries the flavor without the fructan load. A raw garlic clove on the pizza would not.

Storage

Refrigerate leftover slices in a sealed container for up to 3 days. Reheat at 400°F (205°C) on a wire rack or directly on an oven rack for 6 to 8 minutes to crisp the bottom back up; the microwave will turn the crust soft. Freezing is possible but gluten-free crusts lose most of their structure on the thaw, so eat within the week for the best texture.

Not sure about an ingredient? FODMAP Tracker includes a database of 1,000+ foods with FODMAP ratings to help you cook with confidence.