Pizzas are loved by one and all. It’s a perfect combination of a light and fluffy pizza base, a pizza sauce, lots of cheese and toppings of choice. Each component of a pizza is important in making a piazza a great one!
Often most concentration is placed on the kind of crust and the variety of toppings one wants on a pizza. And most people have their own choice of crust and toppings that continue with lengthy debates about how a thin crust is not the real deal or a thick crust can be doughy. Other debates include the mix and match of toppings how one complements another, and if pineapple on pizza is blasphemy! Or is it a culinary genius? These discussions form the main agenda of discussions on pizza.
It is seldom the unsung hero of the pizza, the pizza sauce that gets its due credit! As most pizza sauces would seem the same, red tomato-based. A person with a good judgement about tastes and flavours will be able to tell you, that it is the pizza sauce that can make or break a good pizza. Though they may seem the same, there are various methods of preparing pizza sauce.
The sauce spread on the pizza base will denote if the pizza will end up being, creamy, tart, sweet etc. Often pizza sauce is just assumed to be a tomato base, but the different styles change the overall taste of a pizza. Let us have a look at some varieties of making pizza sauce.
Classic Italian Pizza Sauce
This simple yet hearty recipe will never fail to be the hero of your classic Italian pizza. When you plan to make pizza at home, this pizza sauce recipe will always be a safe and reliable way to make perfect pizzas at home.
Total Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 8 pizzas of 12-inch size
Ingredients:
- 800gm tomato (preferably red, plump and sweet tomatoes)
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 5-6 cloves of garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp sugar
- Salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 8-10 fresh basil leaves
Preparation:
- Take the whole tomatoes add them to a large pot, and boil them until they are softened. Once softened, set them aside. Now in a large skillet add the olive oil and add the minced garlic to it. Cook it until the raw smell wears off, take care not to brown the garlic. Now add the boiled tomatoes to it.
- Using a masher or a spatula, gently mash the tomatoes till they form a smoother mushy texture. Now add the salt, sugar and pepper to your liking. Finally, tear the fresh basil leaves into small pieces and add them.
- Reduce the flame to low and cook the sauce for about 20 minutes. Once the sauce thickens, remove it from the flame and allow it to cool. Once fully cooled, transfer the sauce into a glass jar and use it on your homemade pizza base.
Red Peppery Sauce
When making a pizza using savoury ingredients like chicken, steak, mushrooms or even bacon, a relatively hotter sauce base does more justice to the ingredients as compared to a classic tomato base. Try this red pepper sauce to elevate your next homemade pizza.
Total Time: 45 minutes
Serves: Sauce to serve 4 pizzas of 12-inch
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 5-6 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1.5 cups of tomato puree
- 3 whole red bell peppers
- 2 small whole tomatoes
- 1 tbsp fresh oregano
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
- Preheat the oven, chop the red bell peppers and place them on a baking tray. Bake the red bell peppers for 10-15 minutes. At the same time, fire roast the whole tomatoes on an open flame (or on a mesh) to create blackish blisters on them. Keep both the ingredients aside, once ready.
- Take a large skillet, add some olive oil to it, and on medium flame, cook the minced garlic, take care not to brown it. Now add the onions and sauté them together. Once the onions have turned translucent, add the red peppers, tomato puree as well and the fire-roasted tomatoes chopped roughly. Add the seasonings and allow it all to cook on low flame for 10-15 minutes until all the ingredients have turned soft and mushy.
- Cool all the mixture and then transfer to a blender. Blend to get a fine smooth paste. Transfer to a glass jar, you can use this immediately or even stay fresh in a refrigerator for up to a week.
Hot and Spicy Pizza Sauce
When you plan on toppings like pepperoni, mushrooms or other savoury meats, the pizza sauce must be spicy to do complete justice to the toppings and base. This simple yet spicy pizza sauce is perfect for that spicy life!
Total Time: 40 minutes
Serves: 4 pizzas of 12-inch each
Ingredients:
- 500gm whole tomatoes
- 2 whole red bell peppers
- 4 whole red chillies (Guntur chillies)
- 4-5 minced cloves of garlic
- 1 medium onion chopped
- Salt to taste
- 4 tsp olive oil
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp vinegar
- 4-5 fresh bell peppers
Preparation:
- The preparation method is fairly common and straightforward. Boil the whole tomatoes until they are soft and mushy. Same time, roast the bell peppers on an open flame till they form black blisters on the skin. Scrape off the burnt part of the blisters and chop roughly.
- Now take a large skillet, add olive oil, add the minced garlic and cook for a minute, now add the onions and sauté them slightly. Once the onions become translucent add the whole red chillies and sauté them as well. Now add tomatoes gently use a spatula and mash them. Until the tomatoes are soft and mushy.
- Now add the chopped red bell peppers and season the sauce with salt, sugar and vinegar. Once the mixture is uniformly cooked and soft, remove it from the flame and allow it to cool. Transfer the contents to a blender and blend into a smooth sauce. Now tear the pieces of fresh basil and add them to the sauce. Transfer the sauce into a glass jar and refrigerate for up to a week.
Sweet Pizza Sauce
This is a unique type of pizza sauce that is also tomato-based but has a tinge of sweetness. The best part about this sauce is that it does not interfere with the delicious flavours of the pizza, but reduces the spice level remarkably. This is an apt pizza sauce for everyone who cannot tolerate spice or if young children are to consume it. This works even if you have relatively hot toppings on your pizza.
Total Time: 40 minutes
Serves: 2 pizza for 12-inch size
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cups of tomato puree
- ½ cup onions chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 4 tsp brown sugar
- ½ tsp dried basil
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
- Heat some olive oil in a pan, add onions and garlic to it and cook it for a minute. Now add the dried basil and oregano and mix that well.
- Add the tomato puree and mix well. Add the brown sugar, stir and season it with salt and pepper, cover and cook for about 15-20 minutes. The sauce will thicken and form a uniform consistency.
- You may even eliminate the garlic and onion if you need subtle flavours in the sauce. Once cooled, the sweet pizza sauce is ready for use, or can be transferred to a glass jar for future use.
Many other non-tomato-based pizza sauces are equally tempting, some other popular pizza sauces include pesto, creamy white sauce, mushroom sauce etc.
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