Last night we had Pizza

Pizza Part III - The Sauce
This is really the only recipe I know by heart and I've never written it down before! This is a versatile Italian sauce that we use for everything from Spaghetti and Meatballs to Parmesan Chicken to Pizza.


Italian Sauce
3 large 28-oz. cans crushed tomatoes
1 large 28-oz cans diced tomatoes (I like the petite diced)
(Or any combination of the above. This is is really personal preference on how chunky or thick you want your sauce.)
1 15 oz. size can of tomato sauce
1 Cup wine (I use white, but any wine you like will do.)
2-3 cloves crushed Garlic
Olive Oil
Hot pepper flakes
Dried Oregano
Dried Basil
Black Pepper

In a large pot, heat some olive oil over medium heat. Some is about 3 tablespoons. Add the garlic and swirl around in the pot. It will brown fast at this heat, so don't take your eyes off it. Once you can smell it and it starts to brown, add some hot pepper flakes to your taste. I add about 1 teaspoon. Once the garlic is brown, but not burned, add the tomatoes, sauce and wine. Be careful when adding the tomatoes, as tomatoes pop easily. Stir in the wine, black pepper and oregano to taste. I usually put in about 2 capfuls of Oregano and about the same of pepper. If you have dried parsley flakes, throw them in, too. (Note that I don't add salt. It doesn't need it in most applications. If you want salt, add it in now.)


Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. The longer you cook it, the thicker it will be. Once done, remove from heat and add Basil - about 1-2 capfuls. It is ready to use on spaghetti now.

To freeze, let come to room temperature and fill with 2-2 1/2 C. of sauce per container. Large yogurt or cottage cheese containers are the perfect size for one serving for a family of 5.

Pizza Sauce
Brown onions in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add about 1/2 to 2/3 C. sauce per pizza and about 1 teaspoon salt per 2 cups. Cook until it's reduced down to a fairly thick consistency, about 45 minutes. (This is personal preference, although we find a thicker sauce keeps the crust from getting soggy.) Let cool completely to room temperature before using on the pizza dough.