This pizza sauce is a recipe that is a result of Paulie and I’s pizza challenge. We first made a pizza sauce using passata and once we tried it, we thought it was very sweet, salty and rather claggy. So we decided to have a go at making our own with fresh tomatoes. This recipe is a must, the difference is so unbelievable, it is light and fresh with no added sugar and a tiny amount of salt, we both really preferred the flavour and freshness of the tomatoes. Once you try this you will realise how sweet passata as a pizza base is. It also freezes down really well and I love the hot water and cross tip for peeling off tomato skins, I learn something from Paulie every day!

Ingredients (covers 2 large pizza’s)

• Two Punnets (around 10- 12) medium ripe tomatoes
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• Good handful of basil leaves chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 – 2 tsp dried herbs, optional (we used herb de provence)
• 1 – 3 tsp tomato puree,  (only if needed)

Method

1. First you need to remove the skins of the tomatoes, boil water in kettle and place a cross on the bottom of each tomato before placing in a bowl. Pour over the boiling water and leave for 3 minutes. Once the tomatoes can be handled peel off all the skin’s starting at the edge of the cross.
2. In a food processor, blitz the tomatoes until they form a sauce consistency but also keep some texture and chunks.
3. Heat olive oil in a pan and cook the sliced garlic for minute, making sure it doesn’t brown by stirring. Add the blitzed tomato puree and cook for 10 minutes on a medium flame the tomato juice reduces down slightly.
4. Add in the fresh chopped basil, dried herbs (if using) and salt. At this point taste, if you feel the sauce needs more depth add in the tomato puree a tsp at a time tasting as you go until required flavour has been reached.