True pizza aficionados can agree that as great as crust is, it is really the sauce that makes or breaks a good pie. When it comes to a thin-crust, Neapolitan-style pizza (the kind popular in the New Haven, CT area) sauce is usually little more than fresh crushed tomatoes, salt and a few herbs. In Chicago, home of deep dish pizza, sauce is robust and thick — a perfect complement to slabs of cheese and doughy crusts.
However you cook your sauce, be sure to avoid tin or uncoated cast iron. The acidity in the tomatoes reacts with the tin and iron and creates a metallic taste in your sauce that only sharpens once baked in the oven.
In a large non-reactive pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and a small pinch of kosher salt and cook until just fragrant and slightly translucent. Reduce the heat to low, and add in the garlic and continue to cook, stirring frequently, for about 3 minutes or until the garlic is fragrant and soft. Be careful not to burn the garlic. Add the tomato paste and stir to combine.
Remove the whole tomatoes one at a time from the can and squeeze them in your hands over the pot to crush them. Do this with all the tomatoes and add any remaining juice to the pot. Use a wooden spoon to help break-up the tomatoes into a chunky sauce. Increase the heat to medium-low.
Add the oregano by pinching and rubbing it in your fingers while it sprinkles into the pot, which will help to open up the herb and release its flavorful oils. Add the crushed red pepper, if using, and stir into the tomatoes. Cook the tomatoes for 15 minutes, or until a thick sauce forms. Keep the pot covered but stir frequently. Season with kosher salt and pepper to taste. Just before using the sauce, tear basil into the pot and stir to combine.
The sauce can be frozen in zip-top bags or reusable jars for up to 4 months.
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Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.