Pizza Sauce - Crushed Tomato

By tulawdog

Ingredients

• 1 can (28 ounces) crushed or ground tomatoes (see comments above)
• 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste, start with 1/2 teaspoon and then adjust as needed)
• 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried basil (optional) (or 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano (optional) (or 1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano)
• 1 tablespoon granulated garlic powder (sandy, not the fine powder)
• (or 5 cloves of fresh garlic, minced or crushed)
• 1 to 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, or lemon juice, or a combination of both (optional--some brands are more acidic than others, but I find that most benefit from at least 1 tablespoon)

Preparation

Step 1

Stir all the ingredients together, adding the salt gradually, to taste. (The basil and oregano are optional. I use both because I find most of my friends associate the flavors with childhood memories, but in an authentic Napoletana marinara pizza, made with true San Marzano sauce, you would use only oregano, and not in the sauce but as a garnish after the bake. The flavors of the herbs and garlic will intensify when the pizza is baked, so resist the urge to increase the amount). Do not cook this sauce--the tomatoes are already cooked when they go in the can and they will cook again on the pizza (of course, if using this over spaghetti or other pasta, in other words, if it won't be cooked again in the oven, then you can heat it up in a pan). This sauce will keep for 1 week in the refrigerator.