Homemade Pizza Sauce

As soon as the days become noticeably longer, I start spending all of my time outside; and I thereby start neglecting the kitchen. So many evenings during the winter months are spent cooking at my leisure and to my heart’s content- but I feel the mood changing. I want to be bike riding around town, reading in the park, and gardening. If you start feeling like I do when the sun stays to chat rather than just peek out, you want quicker meals. My favorite thing to do is to precut a medley of ingredients at the beginning of the week, and prepare it in different ways that are fast and easy. Pizza is a splendid example of something you can prepare differently every night, and it doesn’t get boring. I recently found a pizza sauce recipe that I enjoy, and think it’s a lovely treat to impart to my fellow field frolickers.

Ingredients:
• 2 Cans of Crushed Tomatoes
• 1 Can of Tomato Paste
• 2 Tablespoons Minced Garlic (adjust to your tastes- I love garlic!)
• 1 ½ Teaspoons Dried Basil
• 1 ½ Tablespoons Dried Oregano
• 2 Teaspoons Onion Powder
• ¾ Teaspoon Salt
• 1 Teaspoon Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Method:
Start by finding a large, deep pot. In order to extract a lot of the moisture from the tomatoes, you’ll need to simmer the sauce down, and when you like your pizza sauce thick- it can get messy. I used a deep pot and a flat steaming tray, which yielded fewer splatters on the stovetop. Heat the pot over medium heat. Pour in the olive oil and your minced garlic. Sautee the garlic until it is golden brown; this takes about five minutes. Remove the pot from the lit burner; maybe slide it to a cold one. Stir in the oregano, basil, onion powder, sugar, and salt. If you prefer a sweeter tasting pizza sauce, I would suggest using more tomato paste than my recipe calls for, it adds a generally sweetness. Replace the pot on the heated burner. If the oil is quite hot and loud once you’ve replaced the pot, take the pot back off of the burner and lower the heat. Add in the tomato paste. Mix well and fast, being careful not to burn the ingredients. Next, slowly incorporate the crushed tomatoes. To finish up, design how you would like to combat the possible tomato splatter- and you’re done for now! Allow the sauce to simmer down to your desired thickness, stirring every five minutes or so.

To accompany the pizza sauce, I have individual flatbreads, english muffins, and even homegrown-sized zucchini coins available for dressing just minutes before I’d like to eat. I haven’t afforded myself any time to make any pizza dough yet (maybe next winter!), but I’ve heard you can prep and freeze it ahead of time, as well. I like a lot of sauce on my pizza, so I outfitted large jars with sassy personalized labels, covered the jar-lids with white cupcake papers, and then finished them with a rustic twine bow. I plan to get together with some friends and have a homemade pizza night, where everyone will receive the jars as gifts to take home!

*Keep Refrigerated

Zoe (78 Posts)

Zoe is born and bred in Portland, Oregon and recently moved to Orlando, Florida. She studied sociology and philosophy at University of Oregon, and is currently employed at a law firm. Presently, she devotes her time to being lost in the tropical vegetation of her backyard, sun-scorched bike rides, repurposing everything she can think of, quirky cooking, and promoting the creative lifestyle that she loves.