Pizza Sauce

Pizza sauce is slightly different than basic Tomatoe sauce, because you need to pack great flavour into a scoop or two onto the pizza dough, sauce can make your pizza go from good to great or even fabulous! So here is my take on this great pizza sauce....

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped finely
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1-28 ounce can ground Tomatoes, preferably San Marzano Tomatoes
1/2 -6 ounce can of Tomatoe paste
2-3 tablespoons of fresh thyme or 1 tablespoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons fresh oregano or 1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 tablespoon salt or more to taste
1/4 tablespoon fresh ground pepper
Pinch of crushed chilies, (or more if making a sausage pizza)
Rind of Romano cheese

In a large pot, Dutch oven size, on medium heat, add the extra virginolive oil, when the oil is hot, but not smoking, (test by adding a piece of onion, if it spits a little the oil is hot enough), add the onion, stirring occasionally until it is soft, but not brown, then add the garlic, cook and stir until you can smell the garlic, then add the tomatoes, the 1/2 can of Tomatoe paste, stir well, turn up heat, bring to a boil, add the fresh herbs, (or dried herbs, if using), add the salt, pepper, and the crushed chilies, boil for at least 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, taste for salt, add more if necessary,add the Romano cheese rind,  turn heat to low, simmer for 20 -25 minutes, or until thick enough that the sauce doesn't run right off the spoon.remove the Romano cheese rind and dispose.
To use, make the pizza dough first, (recipe on my blog), while the dough is rising make the sauce, then let the sauce cool until room temperature, while you finish making and shaping the dough, then scoop at least 3/4 cup of sauce on a large size for a saucy pizza, add at least 1/2 cup Romano or Parmesan cheese next, more oregano, dried or fresh, then any other meat, veggie, then mozzerella, cheddar, Monterey Jack cheese, not too much, bake for 20-25 minutes, let stand for 5 minutes, cut then enjoy!