There are a few ways to make pizza sauce, depending on how lazy you are. One of our favourites is cooked down from good tomatoes for a moderate amount of time; my fastest comes from a tin of crushed tomatoes or sauce, thickened with paste. Better tomatoes make a difference here, as cheaper ones are less sweet and flavourful.
Ingredients
- 1 tin (796 ml / 28 oz) San Marzano tomatoes
- 1–2 tbsp tomato paste, for punch and to thicken things faster
- 2–3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion and/or shallot, diced
- 2–3 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1–2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp granulated garlic
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1–2 tsp balsamic vinegar (or red wine), to taste
- 1–2 tbsp unsalted butter (optional)
Method
Crush the tomatoes by hand, with a pastry cutter, or with a hand blender (optional). For an even smoother sauce, pass them through a food mill or force them through a fine-mesh strainer with a spatula.
Sweat the onion and garlic in the olive oil until aromatic but not browned, 2–3 minutes.
Reduce the heat. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, and granulated garlic.
Season with salt and pepper. I do this 2–3 times, tasting in between, so I don’t oversalt.
Simmer at the lowest heat that barely bubbles for 20–30 minutes. You can go longer, but not much shorter: tinned tomatoes only mellow after some simmering, and otherwise taste tinny or harsh.
Stir in the balsamic and the butter, if using. Taste and adjust.
Variations
Quick sauce
Use 1 jar or medium tin of crushed tomatoes, or 1 jar of tomato sauce plus 1 tbsp tomato paste, in place of the San Marzanos. Balance with 1–2 tbsp balsamic, honey, or sugar, depending on how bland the tomatoes are.
Notes
- I don’t add chilies or paprika anymore, leaving those for toppings. Paprika, especially smoked paprika, can make a sauce taste heavy and muddle the sweet notes of the tomatoes.
- If the sauce tastes bitter, strain out the seeds through a fine-mesh strainer, add a little balsamic, honey, or sugar (or some of each), or add a bit more salt.
- See also The Aldersons’ epic 12 days of pizza, our family’s 12-pizza Christmas marathon.