Not-so-secret sauce

My brother-in-law and his wife came to visit recently and we made pizza.  Becky, my sister-in-law, asked for the recipe for both the crust and the sauce.  I was thinking "you'd already have it if you were reading my blog!" and probably actually said that out loud. That certainly sounds like something I'd do.  Evidently my blog-Karma didn't think my snarkiness was funny.  If I ever actually posted the sauce recipe my blog-Karma deleted it.  I'm guessing the more likely scenario is that I intended to post it and never did.  I'm doing my part to pave that road to hell.

So here are my apologies to Becky for my snarkiness and the recipe for my favorite pizza sauce. What I love about it:  Complex flavors that compliment rather than overwhelm the toppings, can be quick to prepare, calls for ingredients I typically have on hand, and has the ideal consistency.

Ultimate Pizza Sauce

2 Tbs olive oil                                                                         1 tsp dried basil

1 Tbs butter                                                                            1 tsp dried oregano

½ cup onion, chopped                                                           ¼ tsp salt

¼ cup celery, finely chopped                                                ½ tsp sugar

1 clove garlic, minced                                                            ¼ tsp black pepper

1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce                                                     1 small bay leaf

1 can (6 oz) tomato paste                                                      1 tsp fennel seeds

2 Tbs Parmesan cheese, grated

1.       In a large skillet, melt butter with the oil.  Add the onion, celery and garlic and saute until      soft and transparent.

2.       Add tomato sauce and tomato paste and stir until smooth.

3.       Add remaining ingredients and bring to a slow simmer.

4.       Simmer for 30-60 minutes (or not at all depending on your taste and time frame).

5.       Remove bay leaf and spread the sauce on your prepared pizza dough.

 

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