Description
Experience the depth of real pizza flavor! Hand-crushed San Marzanos meet sweet, fragrant garlic (never browned!) for a rich, chunky sauce base. Master this simple, essential technique.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 (28 ounce) can whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, freshly minced
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)
Instructions
- Step 1: Drain the canned tomatoes and gently crush them by hand, or pulse briefly in a food processor until they reach a chunky but uniform texture. Set the tomatoes aside.
- Step 2: Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Do not allow the garlic to brown, as this will make the sauce bitter.
- Step 3: Pour the crushed tomatoes into the saucepan. Stir in the dried oregano, dried basil, onion powder, granulated sugar, and kosher salt. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil.
- Step 4: Once boiling, reduce the heat immediately to low. Simmer the sauce uncovered for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce should reduce significantly and thicken to a rich, spreadable consistency.
- Step 5: Remove the sauce from the heat. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary (you may want more salt or a pinch of sugar to balance acidity). Allow the sauce to cool completely before spreading on pizza dough or storing in an airtight container.
Notes
- Store cooled sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or freeze small portions for up to 3 months for the easiest weeknight pizzas.
- To maximize depth of flavor, stir the dried oregano and basil into the warm oil and garlic mixture for 30 seconds before adding the crushed tomatoes to "bloom" the spices.
- This rich sauce works wonderfully beyond pizza; use it as a robust dip for homemade mozzarella sticks or as a quick, rustic topping for pasta.
- Thaw frozen sauce overnight in the refrigerator and reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat, stirring minimally to maintain the rich, thick consistency.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 cup (approx. 60g)
- Calories: 38
- Sodium: 180mg
- Fat: 3.0g
- Saturated Fat: 0.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Protein: 3.0g