My Pizza Sauce Recipe

I haven’t perfected my pizza sauce recipe, but here’s what’s working for me lately and I thought I’d post as tomato harvest is winding down for many of us:

Reduce slowly in a 4qt pot to 25% of original volume:

  • 2 cups red wine
  • ¼ pound parmesan cheese rinds

In a deep roasting pan, spread

  • 1 pound scallions
    Then top with
  • 4 pounds halved tomatoes such as plum (I use a mix of cherry, San Marzano plum and heirloom)
  • 1 smoked pork cheek or 1-2 lbs slab bacon
  • 1 head garlic rubbed with olive oil
    Drizzle very lightly with olive oil

Roast, grill or broil near 400 degrees until lightly charred and tomatoes begin to release liquid. I use a wood fired oven but you could use a Traeger, BGE or similar.

Remove pork and reserve for another use.

In a food mill or chinois, strain and press firmly all other contents of the roasting pan.

Add wine reduction from above, removing rinds

In your widest cooking vessel, add

  • tied bouquet of rosemary and thyme
  • anchovies or salt to taste
  • red pepper flakes to taste
    remembering you’re still going to reduce this by 25% to 50%

Pour sauce to 1 inch thick and reduce to 1/2 inch to ¾ inch depending on preference.
Working in batches, repeat with remaining sauce (I work in batches to not overcook the sauce as it will cook again in the oven).
Thicken with xanthan gum if desired

Remove bouquet and add chopped fresh basil to taste.

and here with Olympic Provisons Louikanika and Gouda (notice the pork cheek at left)

Looks so good.

Paul, I kid you not, when I make it to Portland in like 2 years or so, I’m coming over for a pizza masterclass.

Anytime! I love sharing pizza.

holy.

Show oven.
Now.
Want to put a fine edge on my jealousy.

next time i’m in portland we’re definitely doing sours and pizza

There’s nothing jealousy inducing or impressive about my oven. I built it in a couple weekends without any masonry skills whatsoever.

It’s a barrel vault style oven, so vertical walls front and back with a single arch side to side. The foundation is a former hot tub pad, then concrete blocks. Next layer are concrete pavers. Then I spread a layer of sand and laid fire brick. Then I built the walls and aforementioned arch. I insulated the fire bricks, and then poured a layer of concrete over the top. As you can see below, there’s no chimney as I wanted to maximize the smoke coming out the front for dishes like the tomato sauce.

I’ve been tardy in getting it tiled as we’ve had other, more pressing house projects to manage, but I’ll likely get a Gaudi inspired turtle with “Panem et Circenses” inscribed.


Paul, that sauce sounds awesome. After years of making a rather thick, reduced sauce, I’ve recently switched to an uncooked sauce and have been very happy with the results (and time savings). Yours looks awfully compelling though, may have to give it a try.

There are a couple variables there.

I typically want the tomatoes to cook twice, not thrice. Canned tomatoes have been cooked in the canning process so when I use fresh, I give them a bit of a cooking before topping the pizza, then the last cooking is in the oven. More time in pan if I’m using a home oven rather than a wood fired (less evap). but not too, I’m basically just charring the outside rather than actually simmering.