thebigfatnoodle

Lazy pizza

Making your own pizzas are easy especially if, like me, you don’t mind cheating here and there. I don’t like using shop bought pizza bases (always too doughy!) and as I haven’t taught myself how to make pizza dough yet, I find wraps work just well as a pizza base. In fact, as I’m a fan of the extra thin pizza, I think they work better than most.

A pizza’s only ever as good as its sauce and I like to make mine from scratch. It’s dead easy to make as long as you have patience because it needs almost an hour to simmer but it really is worth the wait. I use this sauce as a base for making other pasta dishes too, from spaghetti bolognese to a spicy arabiata (just add chillies or chilli flakes to crank up the heat). With freshly cooked pasta, I think it’s best on its own with nothing except a handful of fresh basil and toasted pine nuts.

Preparation and ingredients

Pizza sauce base

2 tins tomatoes (pomodori tomatoes if you can get you hands on them)

1 large onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, finely chopped or minced

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon thyme

2 bay leaves

1 large handful chopped fresh basil / marjoram (1 teaspoon of dried basil/marjoram if you can’t get fresh)

11/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

Plenty of freshly ground black pepper

4 tablespoons good olive oil

In a large saucepan, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil with the teaspoon of salt. Throw in the onions and garlic and let these sweat gently on a really low heat for 10mins. You want the onions and garlic to turn translucent and only take on a very light brown tinge.

Turn up the heat and add the red wine vinegar to the onions and garlic. Add your dried herbs (except the basil/marjoram). Then break the tinned tomatoes into the pan and mix well with the herbs and the tomato paste. Add in a generous amount of ground black pepper, toss in the 2 bay leaves and now simmer gently for 40-50minutes, stirring occasionally.

You’ll know your sauce is ready when the tomatoes release a rich red oil. At this time, add in your remaining herbs and the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and simmer for another 5-10minutes.

Pizza toppings

Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. If you like your pizzas crispy, I’d toast each wrap for 1 minute on each side in the oven. Spread the tomato sauce evenly on the wrap and add the toppings of your choice.

We always make 2 different types of pizza because my husband and I don’t share the same tastes. Mine normally just has the sauce, some mozzarella cheese, a couple of slivers of anchovies and a handful of fresh basil when it comes out of the oven. If you can, go to a deli and get some fresh anchovies because they’re heaps better than tinned.

On the other, we put a sliced piece of ham, 2 sliced mushrooms and some mozzarella cheese.

We also tried a wrap with just sauce, mozzarella and some grated parmesan… yum!

Each pizza only takes 4-5 minutes in the oven before they’re ready. If you want to posh them up, chuck on a handful of fresh rocket leaves.