I always have some on hand in the freezer.
Makes 270 grams/1 cup/237 ml
| olive oil or vegetable oil | 9 grams | 2 teaspoons (10 ml) |
| fine sea salt | 4.5 grams | ¾ teaspoon |
| dried oregano | . | ⅛ teaspoon |
| crushed red pepper flakes | . | ⅛ teaspoon |
| one 14 ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, preferably San Marzano | 400 grams | 1¾ cups |
| 1 medium clove garlic | . | . |
| red wine vinegar | . | ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) |
1. In a food processor, add the olive oil, salt, oregano, red pepper flakes, and tomatoes. Pulse until only small pieces of tomato remain.
2. Scrape the mixture into a medium saucepan, preferably nonstick. Grate the garlic using a Microplane or finely chop it and add it to the pan. Simmer for 30 minutes to an hour, stirring often, until reduced to 270 grams/a little over 1 cup/237 ml. Stir in the vinegar.
Make This Recipe Your Own
If you like a very brown crust, verging on blackened, it’s fine to bake the pizza at 500°F/260°C or above.
Pizza is personal. Use toppings of your choice, but to keep the bottom crust from getting soggy, avoid overloading the pizza. I like to use 170 to 227 grams/6 to 8 ounces sliced or grated mozzarella; 1 sausage, crumbled and sautéed; 4 large mushrooms, sliced and sautéed; 2 large cloves garlic, chopped and lightly sautéed; and oven roasted cherry tomato halves. If using tomato sauce, I use a very thick one that is not too watery (my recipe at right), and spread a very thin layer (about 52 grams/⅓ cup/79 ml) onto the crust. I sometimes also add little dabs of sauce on top of the cheese. To remove excess fat from pepperoni, I slice it, set it on a half sheet pan or parchment-lined cookie sheet to absorb the fat, and cook it in the hot oven for about 2 minutes or just until it exudes excess fat. Then I set it on paper towels until ready to use. Fresh herbs are best added after baking.