collection of sauces that will work across many styles of pizza, with techniques to make it as easy as possible
Pizza Sauces

pizza sauce

Red Sauce

  • 28 oz Sclafani crushed tomatoes
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves
  • 1 garlic clove, pressed (optional)
  • salt, to taste
  • sugar, to taste

I’ve tried several brands of whole and crushed tomatoes. Sclafani crushed tomatoes have a great flavor and texture, and don’t need more than a pinch of salt and oregano. They are easy to find online and seem to be a staple on the US East Coast. Prices are reasonable. The two tomatoes I find superior are Escalon 6-in-1 and Stanislaus 7/11 ground tomatoes; however, they only come in #10 cans (6lb 9oz).

Scrape tomatoes into bowl, or leave in the can. Taste. Salt comes first. Add a pinch and taste, until it doesn’t taste bland but also doesn’t taste salty. Crush the oregano leaves in your palm before adding. Garlic is your call; I only add it for New York style. Mix and taste. If the sauce tastes too savory or sharp, add a pinch of sugar to balance it out. Leave uncovered at room temp. Leftover sauce can be frozen; it’s worth straining a bit after defrosting, to remove extra liquid.

Pizza Sauces

Green Cream

  • 1 pint heavy cream
  • handful chives
  • 1 garlic clove (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • dozen grinds fresh black pepper (optional)
  • 1-2 tbsp fresh lemon juice and lemon zest (optional)
  • couple pinches crushed red pepper (optional)

Adapted from Pizza Camp by Joe Beddia, of Pizzeria Beddia in Philly. The gist is a savory whipped cream with fresh herbs, whirred together with an immersion blender or Magic Bullet (small blender). I have a chive plant so my version is mostly, if not all, chive for the greens. The original recipe called for basil and fennel, but would work with oregano, thyme, marjoram, and parsley. There are a few optional ingredients that may or may not make sense depending on the toppings. Play around here to find what you like best.

Rough chop greens and garlic (if using), to make life easier for the blender. Add all ingredients you’ve decided on to the blender, and blend in ~15s intervals until it’s whipped cream in consistency, just green. Move to fridge until ready to use. Leftover sauce can be frozen; it won’t look pretty when you defrost, but the pizza will be great.

Korean BBQ