Main St. Cuisine’s Weblog

Spreading pizza sauce onto pizza shells.

Feeling very much like Sandra Lee and not wanting to order out for pizza I made my own pizza sauce but used prepared pizza shells (mini version) for last night’s dinner.   While I try to cook each and every night, when one child is sick, another one has t-ball practice and the husband won’t be home until well after 9pm sometimes you’ve just got to simplify things so you can manage all the other things.

I used Mama Mary’s Piza Crusts and while they weren’t exactly like having freshly risen pizza dough, adding the homemade pizza sauce and freshly grated cheese helped it quite a bit.  In fact, for the time-challenged you can top these “naked” pizza crusts any number of ways to make personal pizzas for each family member.  Better yet, allow the kids to make their own as I did with my oldest.

Before pureeing in the food processor.

Homemade Pizza Sauce

Ingredients

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 Cup Vidalia onion, small chop

2 tbsp garlic, minced

2 pinches of sugar

1 24oz can tomatoes, undrained

1/2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

3 tbsp tomato paste

1 bay leaf

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

Saute onion in olive oil over medium heat until translucent.  Add garlic and sugar and saute one minute longer.  Add tomatoes and next five ingredients.  Stir.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Reduce heat and simmer for 40 minutes or until sauce is thickened.  Occasionally stir sauce and crush tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon.

Remove from heat.   Taste and adjust seasonings.  For a smoother consistency to sauce, add (in batches) to a food processor and puree.

Kichen Note:   Sauce will freeze beautifully for up to two months.  Defrost overnight in refrigerator.