| A good pizza sauce can make or break a pizza. Once | | | | Other Ingredients for Your Sauce |
| you know the right ingredients, you can make your | | | | With a thick tomato base, all that is needed are your |
| own pizza sauce that is as good as or better than | | | | herbs and spices to make delicious pizza sauce |
| what you can get at your local pizzeria. It may take | | | | recipes. Pepper, salt and some garlic are the |
| a few tries to perfect it, but it will be worth it. | | | | necessary ingredients to round out your sauce. A |
| Tomatoes form the basis of pizza sauce. Fresh plum | | | | little sugar comes in handy as well to help cut the |
| tomatoes are meaty and have traditionally been used | | | | acidity of the tomatoes. If you used fresh, low acid |
| for tomato sauce of all kinds. Once they are picked, | | | | tomatoes, it might not be needed. |
| they will need to be blanched, peeled, de-seeded, and | | | | Most pizza sauces contain herbs. Oregano is the most |
| chopped before cooking. If fresh tomatoes are not | | | | common herb used in pizza sauce. Marjoram is very |
| available, you can always use canned tomatoes. They | | | | similar to oregano. It can be substituted for oregano |
| are available year round. | | | | if you prefer a milder form. Another traditional Italian |
| How to Choose the Right Canned Tomatoes | | | | herb is sweet basil. Other herbs commonly used in |
| It is easy to find canned tomatoes at your local | | | | pizza sauce include tarragon, parsley, thyme, |
| market. You will find them whole, chopped, diced, or | | | | rosemary, and bay leaf. If you use bay, be sure to |
| crushed. Tomato puree and paste is also available. | | | | remove it from the sauce before putting it on the |
| They are more concentrated. Combining both types | | | | pizza. |
| can make for a great sauce. If you have a few fresh | | | | If you like your sauce spicy, add a little cayenne, red |
| tomatoes, you can add them in as well. All tomatoes | | | | pepper flakes or hot paprika. Remember that a little |
| should be a bright red in color when the can is | | | | goes a long way. A little pinch adds some punch to |
| opened. A darker color indicates that they used too | | | | your sauce. If some family members are not into |
| much heat in the processing, and an orange hue | | | | spice, you can keep your red pepper flakes on the |
| suggests the tomatoes were under ripe. | | | | table to be applied as desired by your diners when |
| Whatever tomato products you have chosen to use | | | | they sit down to eat. |
| need to be cooked together. If you have chopped | | | | Adding a little olive oil to your sauce will give it that |
| canned or fresh tomatoes, you will get a wonderful | | | | traditional Italian flavor. It adds some authenticity. |
| texture. Cook over a low heat, stirring frequently. | | | | The green olive oils will taste more of fresh olives. A |
| Keep an eye on it so the sauce does not cook too | | | | little bit of your favorite wine can add more depth to |
| long. | | | | your sauce and a bit of richness as well. |