10: Italian Dinner Nite

I am always excited when it comes to making pizza at home! It is something I have come to love..just the act of spreading the dough, making the sauce, and then realizing that the pizza pie is your canvas and you get to decorate it with your favorite veggies and meat...hmm..hmm...hmm...all I can do is hum along and let my imagination run wild...

I must say that I do not make my own pizza dough..I use the ready-made Pillsbury pizza dough. I use parchment paper and little flour to spread the dough over. To make the sauce, I use 5-6  Roma tomatoes, 1 chopped onion, basil leaves, parsley, and 1 clove of garlic finely chopped. In a pan heat 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil, add the chopped garlic and onions and fry till lightly brown. Add chopped tomatoes and the basil leaves and salt to taste. As the tomatoes become soft mash the mix with a ladle (you leave chunks of tomatoes in there if you like it that way). Let simmer on low heat for a while. If there is excess sauce, you can always refrigerate it. I used the same sauce to also make spaghetti and meatballs.

Once the sauce is cooled spread the sauce on the pizza pie and the spread a thin layer of mozzarella cheese. I usually go light on cheese, as the cheese emits some water as it is heated and the pizza crust could become  soggy. Then add your favorite toppings and place the pizza in the oven. The pizza can be placed on a regular cookie try. To get a evenly toasted and crispy crust you should preferably use a pizza stone. Bake the pizza for 12-14 minutes. If you prefer a cheesy pizza, after the pizza is done, add some more cheese and let it stay in the oven for another minute. A perfect gourmet pizza in less than 30 minutes.

Buon appetito!