Italian Pizza Sauce

The difference between a good homemade pizza and a great one usually comes down to the sauce, and this is a great one. Canned Italian plum tomatoes form the base (drained first to keep the sauce thick) along with tomato paste for concentrated depth and olive oil for the richness restaurant sauces always seem to have. The sweetener choice is unusual: corn syrup and brown sugar work together, with the corn syrup adding sticky body and the brown sugar contributing molasses notes that lift the dried herbs. Speaking of herbs, the oregano comes in late on purpose. The bulk of the cooking happens with everything except the oregano, which simmers for 30 minutes to let the flavors marry. Then the oregano joins for just the final 15 minutes. This timing keeps the herb’s bright, peppery edge from cooking off into hay. Tarragon is the secret-weapon ingredient. It’s not traditional pizza sauce material, but the anise notes pair beautifully with the tomato. Chill overnight before using.

Pro Tips

• Drain the canned tomatoes well. Excess liquid means watery sauce that soaks into the crust and leaves a soggy pizza.
• Purée in the blender if you like smooth sauce. Chop in the pot if you want chunky texture; the recipe gives you both options.
• The overnight chill isn’t optional. Fresh sauce tastes one-dimensional; rested sauce has merged flavors that you cannot replicate by extending the cooking time.
• Freeze in pizza-portion-sized containers (about ½ cup each) for instant homemade pizza nights.

Variations

• Add 2 cloves of fresh minced garlic with the tomatoes for a sharper, fresher flavor than garlic powder alone.
• Stir in a splash of red wine or balsamic vinegar in the last 5 minutes for added depth.
• Use ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes for an arrabbiata-style spicy pizza sauce.