Pizza

So, you all know that I love to make pizza at home. Well, it never occurred to me that even though I make the crust from scratch, I should try to make the sauce from scratch too. I think there is something daunting about the thought of peeling endless tomatoes to make fresh tomato sauce. I also have never been a big "red sauce" person, but I do like pizza sauce because it ususally tastes lighter to me. Well, as with many things- if you think you don't like something, you should try making it yourself. You will probably tweak it in just the right ways that you will realize what you've been missing all along.

So the sauce is actually really easy to make. I grabbed a big package of tomatoes at costco. You probably need about 4 roma tomatoes or about 6 small tomatoes on the vine. I've made this with both- the roma are probably the perfect tomato for this, but if you don't like a chunky sauce, you will have to blend it before you use it. The smaller ones just disintegrated into gorgeous yummy sauce. (More tomatoes to peel, but honestly, this part is sooo much easier than you'd think!) Fill your pot with water deep enough to submerge the tomatoes and bring it to a boil. Then drop them in and boil for only one minute. Strain and return the pot over the medium flame until dry, then add a couple tablespoons of olive oil. (Extra Virgin Olive Oil, of course!) Crush two cloves of garlic into the oil using a garlic press and sautee lightly, don't let the garlic brown. Then add 1/2 tsp (or more or less, depending how much spice you enjoy) of red pepper flakes. Take a look at your red pepper flakes- if they are not a bright red color, toss them and grab a new package at the store. They have lost their kick unless they are bright red in color. While the garlic sautees, quickly peel the tomatoes. I wrapped them in a paper towel and just twisted with my fingers a bit, and the peel came right off. Sometimes the roma tomatoes required a little slit in the skin, but then the peels come right off. Add the peeled tomatoes to the pot with a splash or two of white wine and bring simmer for about 30 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, break up the tomatoes as they cook. They will break down further as you simmer. Use a store bought crust or make your own- it is really very simple. (recipe to come)
Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Sprinkle with a little kosher salt before spreading the dough on top. You can sprinkle with cornmeal if you like, but I don't like the texture of that on my pizza so I avoid it. If your oven is hot enough, you don't need it. Heat the oven to at least 415 degrees, some people say as high as it will go. I usually don't go past 435, but I am always a wimp when it comes to oven temperatures. I hate burning things. Cook on the lowest rack for about 15 minutes. If you like, broil for the last 2 minutes to brown the top of the cheese. (This might happen automaticallly if you use a higher setting to begin with, but I haven't tried it.) Once you have the consistency of the sauce you want, pour it over the prepared pizza dough.Add some cheese- this was fantastic fresh mozzerella that I also got at costco. They have a lot of surprising things when you look past your staples. The buffalo mozzerella was definitely the better choice for this recipe. When it melts it just gets ooey-gooey as opposed to chewy. I tore these pieces up, but if you want an authentic look, use the circles whole and your pizza will just have spots of cheese. Sprinkle with a little fresh grated parmesan also. If you are using toppings, place them on top of the cheese. They will cook more this way and be more tasty.

Try to let it cool a little before eating it. This is the hardest step, but burning the roof of your mouth really ruins the experience! Thank you to smitten kitchen for the above recipes (which I modified only slightly) and giving me the courage to try making my own sauce. I am so happy that I did!