*  Exported from  MasterCook  *

                           BASIC PIZZA SAUCE

Recipe By     :
Serving Size  : 1    Preparation Time :0:00
Categories    : Sauces                           Pizza

 Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  1                    2 lb,3 oz. can whole
                       Tomatoes, packed in tomato
                       Puree or juice
  2                    Fresh basil leaves or 1
                       Teaspoon dried basil, dried
                       Oregano or dried marjoram
  1                    Clove of garlic, crushed
  2       tb           Tomato paste (optional)
                       Freshly ground black pepper
                       Pinch of salt (optional)

 1.  Pour the contents of the tomato can into a 2
 quart, heavy non-aluminum
     saucepan and coarsely crush the tomatoes with a
 fork or your hands. 2.  Add the herbs, garlic, tomato
 paste, pepper, and salt. 3.  Bring to a bubble over
 medium heat, stirring to mix the seasonings. 4.  As
 soon as the sauce begins to bubble, turn the heat to
 low and
     maintain the sauce at a gentle simmer.
 5.  Cook, uncovered, stirring from time to time, for a
 minimum of 15
     minutes and a maximum of 1 hour.
 This sauce will keep for about a week in an airtight
 container in the refrigerator.  It can also be frozen
 for up to 4 months. Variation: For onion sauce, saute
 1 small, finely chopped sweet onion
 :          in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until the
 onion is just
 :          translucent.  Follow instructions for basic
 sauce.

 :          For meat flavored sauce, saute the meat of
 two Italian sweet
 :          sausages (removed from their casings and
 roughly crumbled)
 :          in 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  Cook the
 sausage meat for 1 to
 :          2 minutes over medium heat until it is no
 longer pink.  Follow
 :          instructions for basic sauce.
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