Pizza Sauce
A simple yet flavorful pizza sauce made with fresh tomatoes, perfect for elevating your homemade pizzas.
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 500 grams ripe tomatoes (or 2 cups fresh tomato puree) Use ripe, in-season tomatoes for best flavor.
- ½ to 1 teaspoon red chili flakes Adjust to taste for desired spice level.
- ¾ tablespoon garlic (finely chopped or minced) Sauté until fragrant.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil Used for sautéing garlic.
- ⅓ to ½ teaspoon salt Adjust to taste.
- 1 teaspoon sugar To balance flavors.
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ to ¾ teaspoon dried basil (or 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil) Add fresh basil towards the end of cooking.
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon crushed black pepper
Instructions
Preparation
- Begin by blanching the tomatoes. Bring a pot of water to a boil, and carefully place the tomatoes in for about 30 seconds. Remove them and plunge into an ice bath to cool.
- Once cooled, peel the skins off the tomatoes, and remove the cores. Chop the tomatoes roughly.
Cooking
- In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the minced garlic and sauté for about one minute until fragrant, being careful not to let it burn.
- Add the chopped tomatoes to the skillet, along with salt, sugar, red chili flakes, oregano, and black pepper. Stir well.
- Simmer the sauce on low for about 15-20 minutes, or until it thickens to your liking. If using fresh basil, add it just a couple of minutes before the sauce is done cooking.
- Taste your sauce and adjust the seasoning as necessary.
Notes
Serve this sauce over pizza dough, or use it as a dipping sauce for breadsticks. For better consistency, use an immersion blender after cooking. You can also freeze the sauce for longer storage.