This is the sauce I use for my BLT Pizza, but it goes great on any type of pizza and works great as a dipping sauce for bread sticks, too. This recipe makes quite a bit of sauce, but no worries, it freezes and pressure cans great.

Ingredients:

• 3 quarts canned tomatoes (Roma/Paste tomatoes work best)
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 1 large sweet onion – chopped
• 4 Tbs garlic – chopped
• 10 fresh basil leaves – roughly chopped or torn
• 1 Tbs coarse kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 3 Tbs sweet red wine – completely optional, you can add a 1/2 tsp of white sugar instead

Directions:

• To a large saucepot, add the olive oil and warm over medium-low heat.
• Add the onions and cook until just softened, then add in the garlic. We don’t want to burn it or it will get bitter.
• Next, add the basil leaves and cook them until they wilt. About a minute.
• Add in the tomatoes and stir to combine. Then add in the wine or sugar, whichever you are using.
• Add in the salt and pepper, stirring them in, and bring the sauce to a simmer over low heat.
• Remove the pan from heat and using a hand blender, carefully blend the sauce right in the cooking pan until it is nice and smooth.
• Return the sauce to the burner and over low heat, simmer until it is thickened, uncovered, stirring often.

*I have portioned mine out into sandwich size baggies and stacked in the freezer for later use. I’ve found that a quarter cup of sauce will easily do one 12″ pizza for us. I also can it in half-pint jars, which is enough for pizza plus dipping sauce for breadsticks or mozzarella sticks.