Jim Lahey's Tomato Pizza ~ Pizza Marinara
Spooned on a Magherita, or any kind of pie, this sauce does exactly what it's supposed to do, adding the pure flavors of tomatoes without overwhelming the integrity of the pie itself.
Equipment
- Pizza Stone
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, or a 28-ounce (795 g) can peeled Italian plum tomatoes
- About 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- Dried oregano and thinly sliced garlic (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more for sprinkling
- 1 ball Pizza Dough, shaped and waiting on a floured peel
Instructions
- Place the pizza stone in a gas oven on a rack about 8 inches from the broiler. Preheat the oven on bake at 500°F (260°C) for 30 minutes. Switch to broil for 10 minutes. If using an electric oven, see the FAQ section above for instructions.
- If using fresh tomatoes, bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a 5- to 6-quart pot. Cut away the dry stem area of the tomatoes, leaving the core intact. Place 2 or 3 tomatoes at a time in the boiling water for 5 to 10 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and put on a rack to cool. Peel the tomatoes with a paring knife. If using canned tomatoes, go directly to step 3.
- If you have a food mill, cut each tomato into several wedges and run them through the food mill set over a medium bowl to create a chunky pulp (not a fine purée; you want to retain some texture). If you don’t have a food mill, just squish the tomatoes with your hands—it’s messy but sorta fun.
- Stir the olive oil and salt into the tomatoes. (The tomato sauce will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. This is a good thing seeing as you'll have enough tomato sauce to sling about 8 pizzas.)
- With the dough on the peel, spoon about 1/4 to 1/2 cup tomato sauce over the surface and spread it evenly, leaving the outer inch or so of the dough untouched. Sprinkle the pie with the oregano and garlic, if using, and a pinch salt and drizzle the pie with oil to your heart's content.
- Using quick, jerking motions, slide the pie from the peel onto the hot, hot, hot pizza stone. Broil for about 3 minutes if you have a gas oven, somewhat longer if you have an electric oven. The ingredients should be bubbling and the crust nicely charred but not burnt.
- Using the peel, slide the pizza onto a platter before slicing it into wedges. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Transferring your pizza--A pizza peel works best for transferring your dough to the pizza stone. To make it easier to slide the pizza off the peel, you can place a sheet of parchment under the dough and it should slide right off when you transfer it to the oven.
- Pizza peel substitute--If you don't have a pizza peel, use an overturned baking sheet lined with parchment or dusted with cornmeal.
- Dietary--This recipe is suitable for vegan, vegetarian, and dairy-free diets. To make it gluten-free, use gluten-free pizza dough.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 166kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 430mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g