Name: Pizza sauce
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 garlic clove crushed; 2 stalks basil; ½ tsp dried oregano; 400g tin peeled plum tomatoes (we used San Marzano)

An uncooked pizza base with tomato sauce spread over it, next to a plate of grated cheese, bowl of more sauce and some fresh basil leaves

2 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove
crushed
2 stalks basil
½ tsp dried oregano
400g tin peeled plum tomatoes
(we used San Marzano)

Method

step 1
Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat and fry the garlic gently for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the basil and oregano, followed by the tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and crush the tomatoes with the back of a spoon to create a smoothish sauce. Simmer for 10 minutes until thickened to a passata consistency. Season well with salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar to balance the acidity in the tomatoes, if needed. Leave to cool before using, or chill for up to four days before using. Fish out the basil stems before using. Blend with a stick blender if you prefer a very smooth pizza sauce.