Friday Is Pizza Night

Making a big meal on Friday is just not happening after a busy week. One of my easy favorites for Friday is to roll out a pizza dough, pour some homemade sauce on it and sprinkle with cheese, and sometimes there is a special request for add-ons.

O.K. so it's not really homemade since I don't actually make the dough, let it rise and then roll it out. I buy fresh dough from my favorite Italian restaurant. But I do make my own pizza sauce which is really easy. Here is my recipe.

Quick Pizza Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 or 2 garlic cloves (whole or chopped)
  
• 1 Tbls. olive oil
  
• 1 15 oz. can of Muir Glen organic tomato sauce
  
• salt and pepper (to taste)
  
• basil or oregano(optional/to taste)
  
• 1 Tbls. red wine (optional)

Directions

• 1. Heat olive oil in a 1.5 quart sauce pan with cover. Add garlic and let it simmer until the flavor blends into the oil, about 3-4 minutes. Try not to let it burn or it will taste bitter.
  
• 2. Add in the tomato sauce and simmer for a few minutes then add the red wine if you choose. Cover and simmer gently approximately 20 minutes. Add salt,
  and pepper, basil, oregano as desired.

For those who are new to making pizza at home here are my suggestions. You really only need a round pan (approx. 14"-16") with holes in the bottom which helps the pizza bake and brown without using a pizza stone or brick oven.

I line the pan with parchment paper and rub the paper with olive oil before I place the dough on the pan. This prevents the pizza from sticking. I have forgotten to use the parchment paper and oil and the pizza was stuck to the pan.

Next roll out the dough until it fits into your pan. (I use a rolling pin, rotating the dough 1/4 turn to keep the dough in a round.) Place the dough in the pan and then spread the sauce. Add the cheese and any other toppings you like. This week I added a few sliced olives. You can add any kind of toppings you like: sausage, onions, peppers, olives, pepperoni . . . the possibilities are endless.

Bake in a pre-heated 425 degree oven for approximately 12-18 minutes, depending on your oven, until it is browned on the bottom. I make sure I use my timer -- I've been known to get involved in something else and forget I have the pizza in the oven. Lesson learned, I start the timer for 12 minutes, if it is not ready add a minute or two as needed.

Mangia!
Winelady Cooks