Remember when I mentioned plans to throw together a few pizzas on Christmas Eve? Well, I followed through and they were a big hit with my three dining companions!
What’s the secret to a crowd-pleasing pie? An easy-to-assemble no-knead dough and homemade pizza sauce. Start with these two components and your creation will be a success. The combination is so good, you don’t even need cheese. I topped our Christmas Eve pies with black olives, marinated artichoke hearts, uncured pepperoni, sautéed cremini and portobello mushrooms, and spinach – and no one missed the mozzarella.
My favorite homemade pizza sauce is quick to prepare and calls for just a handful of ingredients, including good quality whole peeled tomatoes, garlic and dried herbs. After briefly simmering and puréeing the mixture, it’s ready to use.
Recipe adapted from Whole Food Bellies.
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 28 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon sea salt, plus more, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- In a medium sauce pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add tomatoes with juice, crushing with your hands as you add them, thyme, oregano and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Transfer mixture to a food processor and pulse until sauce reaches desired consistency. Pour mixture back into the sauce pan and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
