BeBa

I often joke with Scott that I’m really NOT that great of a cook. My food is good because I’m a good recipe-picker.

The Internet helps so much with that, especially when you can review hundreds of consumer reviews as part of the evaluation process. These reviews also include useful tips and recipe modifications that may better suit my preferences.

To that end, now that I’m making bread dough all the time (and it makes an awesome pizza dough, too) I was on a quest for the perfect homemade pizza sauce. I found this little gem: Exquisite Pizza Sauce by Angie Gorkoff .

4.5 stars and 641 user reviews can’t be wrong, yeah?

Here’s my adaptation:

Sweet and Spicy Pizza Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 6 fluid ounces warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic (or 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• salt to taste

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients in bowl and allow at least 30 minutes for flavors to blend.

2. Spoon and spread 4-5 tablespoons of sauce onto each pizza crust. Add cheese and toppings. Drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with herbs like oregano or basil. Bake in oven (convection, if you have that option) preheated to 450F for 10-15 minutes.

Makes enough sauce for two pizzas. We like to double the recipe, heat up the extra and use it as a pizza or breadstick dipping sauce.

Homemade pizza tips

1. One of the commentators at All Recipes offers this suggestion – brilliant! If you make pizza regularly, mix up the following dry ingredients:

• 2-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2-1/2 teaspoons dried marjoram
• 2-1/2 teaspoons dried basil
• 2-1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 4 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• salt to taste

When you’re ready to make pizza, add one tablespoon of this mixture to the regular recipe.

2. Did you know that if you carefully sprinkle the shredded cheese on the bare edges of the pizza crust, that will anchor ALL the cheese to the crust so that it won’t slide around (and right off the slices) when you slice the pizza? Scotty taught me that one just tonight. He worked his way through college at Pizza Hut, so he would know.