There is a debate in the pizza-world on the topic of uncooked vs. cooked pizza sauce. I grew up with fresh uncooked sauce, so that is my preference, but it ultimately comes down to your own individual taste. Uncooked sauce will be a bit brighter and more tangy and have more “fresh tomato taste”. Cooked sauce will have a bit more depth. Either way, the oven will cook the sauce. Experiment and decide which is your personal preference. This is the flavorful sauce I use on my Roman Style Pizza. Roasting or micro-waving the garlic is optional, but buttery, roasted or micro-waved garlic adds a wonderful taste to the sauce. If you don’t want to bother roasting the garlic, minced fresh garlic works just fine, but don’t let it scorch or burn or it will be bitter. Adding anchovy paste or a couple of anchovy fillets adds a nice flavor note to the sauce but is optional. If you use anchovy, reduce or omit the salt in the recipe. Spread a thin layer of sauce over the pizza and add your toppings. Cooked sauce, or fresh sauce…? You decide. Mangia e buon appetito!

Easy Pizza Sauce
Enough sauce for several pizzas

Ingredients:

• 1-28 ounce can of peeled San Marzano tomatoes crushed

• ½ head of garlic roasted (or 3-4 cloves finely minced and sautéed)

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1-2 tablespoons of fresh basil or 2 teaspoons dry basil

• 2 teaspoons oregano

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ½ teaspoon black pepper

• 1 teaspoon anchovy paste (optional; if you use, omit the salt)

• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

For uncooked sauce:
If you prefer the tanginess of fresh uncooked pizza sauce, mix the ingredients in a food processor without cooking and omit the anchovies if you don’t like anchovies. You can add additional spices to taste when you assemble the pizza prior to baking. Process to your desired consistency (smooth or chunky); adjust the salt and pepper to your taste.

Preparation for cooked sauce:

1. If you roast your garlic, remove the extra papery skin; drizzle a little olive oil over the cut faces of garlic; wrap in a foil pouch, and roast in a preheated oven at 375 for about 25 minutes. Alternatively, you can wrap the garlic in a paper towel and microwave it for about a minute until soft.

2. If you’re using fresh minced garlic, preheat a saucepan or cast-iron skillet over medium heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil; wait 30 seconds, and add the minced garlic, stirring constantly until it just begins to brown. (don’t let it burn!)

3. If using roasted garlic: squeeze the cloves out of their skins into the hot olive oil and mash with a fork.

4. If using anchovy, add the fillets or paste and stir for a few seconds.

5. Immediately add the tomatoes and the rest of the ingredients. Stir and simmer for 15 minutes and remove from the heat.

6. Allow the sauce to cool a bit and add to a food processor and process on low until medium smooth. (Note: if you like your sauce more chunky, process less; if you want your sauce very smooth, process longer until you reach the consistency you like.)

7. Leftover sauce will keep in the fridge for about a week in a glass container with a tight top.