Bottled pizza sauce works in a pinch, but they’ve all got a “commercial” flavor. Making sauce is easy enough, just gotta plan ahead so it has time to cool.

I’m calling this “Pizza Sauce 1” as I’ll probably use and/or invent other sauces in the future.

Pizza Sauce 1

• 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 tsp seasoned salt
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp granulated garlic
• 1 tsp Costco No-Salt Seasoning

Put all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When it starts to bubble, turn down on very low and simmer 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes. Let cool an hour before using.

Notes

Edit: 07/06/2021 — added paprika and granulated garlic to the recipe.

This can be made with any type of tomato product, although IMO tomato sauce will produce a thin result. If the result is too chunky, use an immersion blender to make it smoother. I found that crushed tomatoes produced a great texture.

Any no-salt seasoning can be used, simply to add a bit of extra flavor.

Lorraine doesn’t like spicy. On my own, I’d add 1/4 to 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes.

Patrick’s Pizza Sauce

• 1 x 28 oz can Cento’s* whole peeled tomatoes
• 1 x 14.5 oz can Cento’s* petite diced tomatoes
• 2 x 6 oz cans Cento’s* tomato paste
• 1 tbsp chili paste
• 1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 1/2 – 1 cup warm water

Spices: As measured, or to taste**

• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp basil
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp parsley
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1.5 tsp garlic powder or 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp sugar, brown sugar, or honey

*I consider Cento tomatoes to offer the best taste of all the brands of canned tomatoes I have tried. They are generally pricier than your generic brands, but will yield a superior sauce. Other, more expensive tomatoes are not worth the price – IMO they are generally not as good as Cento’s, too pricey, or both.

**The seasoning amounts I provided offer a reasonable balance of flavors. It is up to you, the cook, to determine what you prefer in your sauce. A good pizza sauce should emphasize a rich tomato flavor without being overbalanced by other flavors.

Blend or crush the can of whole tomatoes – whether by food processor, blender, or by hand.

Combine all the ingredients into a large, heavy-bottomed sauce pan. Mix together and heat on medium-low until sauce begins to simmer. Reduce to the second-lowest heat setting and partially cover the pot. Simmer the sauce until it has reduced enough to scoop easily with a spatula, or when you judge it to have the desired thickness. Taste and add additional seasoning as needed.

Allow to cool before storage. Keeps well refrigerated or frozen.

I’ve been dissatisfied with my pizza crust recipe — it tastes great, but generally rises too much and just does not spread in the pan. I spotted this recipe and decided to give it a try.

The recipe is not necessarily special — however, the method is. I used the method and it worked fantastic — the crust spread quite evenly in the pan.

While I like this crust, next time I make pizza I will use my regular recipe and use the method in this recipe to see if it works.

I did not follow the recipe as written … not that I ever do. I added the basil & oregano, and used a bread machine to knead the dough.

New York Style Pizza Crust

• 1-2/3 cup water (110 F to 115 F)
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp active dry yeast
• 4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour
• 1-1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp dried basil (optional)
• 1 tsp dried oregano (optional)
• 1 Tbsp cornmeal (optional)

Hand Kneaded

Combine water and sugar in small bowl; stir to dissolve sugar. Sprinkle yeast on top; stir to combine. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes or until foamy.

Combine flour and salt in medium bowl. Stir in yeast mixture. Mix until mixture forms soft dough.

Remove dough to lightly floured surface. Knead 5 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic, adding additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed.

Place dough in medium bowl coated with nonstick cooking spray. Turn dough in bowl so top is coated with cooking spray; cover with towel or plastic wrap.

Let rise in warm place 30 minutes or until doubled in bulk.

Punch dough down; place on lightly floured surface and knead about 2 minutes or until smooth.

Jump to Both Methods and continue.

Bread Machine Kneaded

Instead of hand kneading, place all ingredients in the machine in this order: water, yeast, sugar, salt, basil, oregano. Add flour and set machine for dough cycle.

Remove dough from machine and continue.

Both Methods

Pat dough into flat disc about 7″ in diameter. Let rest 2 to 3 minutes.

Pat and gently stretch dough from edges until dough seems to not stretch anymore. Let rest 2 to 3 minutes.

Continue patting and stretching until dough is 12″ to 14″ in diameter.

Spray 12″ to 14″ pizza pan with nonstick spray; sprinkle with com meal, if desired. Press dough into pan. Preheat oven to 5OO F. Follow directions for individual recipes, baking pizza on bottom rack of oven.

Notes

My changes:

1. Original recipe was a bit small for the round pans I now use, so I scaled the recipe up 25%.
2. Current recipe is 2.5 times the size of the original, as I always make two pies.
3. The original ingredients were: 2/3 cup water, 1 tsp sugar, 1-1/2 tsp yeast, 1-3/4 cups flour, 1/2 tsp salt
4. Usually add herbs.
5. Use bread machine to knead the dough.
6. Was using cookie sheets, but switched to extra large pizza pans.

Tomato, Cheese & Herb Tart

Crust:

• 1-1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup chilled, unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 4 Tbsp (about) ice water

Filling:

• 5 medium tomatoes cut into 1/2″ thick slices
• 9 oz Emmenthal or Gruyére cheese, thinly sliced
• 1 Tbsp minced, fresh basil or 1 tsp dried
• 1 tsp minced, fresh thyme or 1/4 tsp dried
• 1 tsp minced, fresh oregano or 1/4 tsp dried
• 3 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese

For the crust: Combine the flour and salt in the processor. Add butter and cut in using on/off turns until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add enough water by Tbsp to form moist clumps. Gather dough into a ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375º. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 13″ round. Transfer to 11″ diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Trim edges. Freeze crust 15 minutes. Line crust with foil. Fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake until crust is set, about 15 minutes. Remove foil and beans and bake until pale golden about 15 minutes more. Cool crust on a rack. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature).

For the filling: Cut each tomato slice in half. Place tomato slices on paper towels and let drain 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 375º. Top crust with the Emmenthal cheese slices. Arrange the tomatoes atop the cheese, overlapping slightly. Sprinkle herbs, then Parmesan cheese over the tomatoes. Season with pepper. Bake until cheese melts and tomatoes are tender, about 35 minutes. Cool slightly. Remove the tart pan sides. Cut tart into wedges and serve. Serves 8