Pizza Sauce

First and foremost, let's prepare the ingredients for the sauce.

Pay attention to the consistency of the tomatoes, as they may vary depending on the brand. If the tomato chunks are too large, they need to be separately mashed with a fork until they reach the desired texture, as shown in the photo. If you are using fresh tomatoes, blanch them in boiling water, peel and deseed them, then dice them into small cubes.

Next, peel and finely chop the onion.

Then, finely chop the garlic.

Chop the basil: it is convenient to do this by folding the leaves into a stack, and then rolling it into a tube.

Heat olive oil in a thick-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion, stirring, until it starts to become transparent.

Then add the garlic and sauté, stirring, for about a minute until golden brown and fragrant.

Add tomatoes in their own juice and stir. Bring the mixture to a simmer.

Season and pepper the sauce, then add the herbs. Taste the sauce and add a pinch of sugar if the tomatoes are slightly acidic.

Cook over low heat for 15 minutes (if using fresh tomatoes, increase the time to 30 minutes), stirring occasionally.

If you're not using the sauce right away, it needs to cool down and then be refrigerated. It can be stored in the refrigerator for about a week. It's convenient to prepare the sauce in advance and then focus on pizza dough and baking the next day. With homemade sauce, even the simplest pizzas will be fantastically delicious. Try, for example, Margherita with tomatoes and mozzarella.