Grandpa Joe's
Pizza Sauce

Yet another traditional family recipe.

About this recipe

No Italian recipe collection is complete without a pizza sauce or two.  My all-time favorite is my family's traditional version.  Are you surprised?

Ingredients

  • 29 ounces tomato puree
  • 12 ounces tomato paste
  • 4 cups water
  • ¼ cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons dried oregano
  • 4 large garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ stick Margherita brand pepperoni
  • extra virgin olive oil

Directions

  1. Slice the pepperoni, and sauté the slices in 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a 4 quart sauce pan. 
  2. As the pepperoni begins to brown slightly, add the garlic. 
  3. As the garlic begins to brown slightly, add the remaining ingredients.
  4. Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour.

Notes

  • The pepperoni can be omitted to create a meatless sauce.  In this case, a quarter cup of chopped fresh basil leaves should be added.
  • With either variation, a tablespoon of dried marjoram leaves can be substituted for one of the two tablespoons of dried oregano.
  • If you use pepperoni, please do not substitute for the Margherita brand pepperoni.  This is the "secret" ingredient that makes the sauce so special!
Pizza sauce ingredients.
Pizza Sauce!
Posted: January 2014.