Pizza and Pasta Sauce

Last year for Christmas my Mum gave me a wonderful glazed-ceramic pizza stone. It's been sitting in the cupboard all summer because you really need to max out the oven temperature to get the best results. The leaves are changing and the temperature is finally beginning to drop! So I decided to make some little pizzas for dinner.

Last night I made a roast tomato pasta sauce and had plenty left over to use on the bases. I like to pack as many vegetables into my meals as possible. Growing up I considered carrot an essential ingredient in tomato sauce because that's how my Mum always made it. Roasting the tomatoes is a quick way to reduce the water content and bring out the sweetness. If I have the time I blanch and peel them and just cook the sauce on the stove for a few hours until it reduces and sweetens. I love garlic, normally i'd use 3-4 cloves in a pasta sauce but roasting it really mellows the flavour and I can use the whole bulb. A slow cooked flavour in half the time.

Roasted Tomato Pasta Sauce
1kg ripe tomatoes
1 red capsicum
1 bulb garlic
1 small zucchini
2 carrots
1 onion

Halve or quarter the tomatoes, slice capsicums and cut the top off a bulb of garlic. Place on a baking tray that's lightly brushed with olive, drizzle a little oil on the garlic. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Roast in a hot oven for about 30 mins, or until the juices are caramelising on the tray. While that happens dice the onion and soften in a saucepan with some olive oil. Once that's done add dice the carrots and cook for 1-2 minutes, then dice and add the zucchini. Stir around for a minute then remove from the heat. Once the tomatoes are done put them in a blender with the onion mix, or blend with a stick mixer, until smooth. Return to the saucepan and heat through. Season to taste. Great on pasta or on pizzas!

Pizza Dough
(from jamieoliver.com)
I made a half batch since it's just the two of us, it was more than enough. It made 6 small pizzas.

500g strong white bread flour
1 tsp salt
1 sachet yeast (7g)
1 tbs sugar
2 tbs olive oil
325 ml luke warm water

I use my kitchen aid for most kneading because I'm lazy and it's very effective. Put the flour in the bowl, add the salt. In a small jug pour in the warm water, add the sugar, then the yeast. Once it starts to foam (5 mins) pour the water mix plus the oil into the bowl of the mixer. Using the dough hook mix for 4-5 minutes until the mixture comes together and forms a smooth, springy dough. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and put it in a warm place to rise for half an hour (I put it on the stove since the oven is heating up). Once it's doubled in size punch it down and divide into 6 small balls. Roll out using a rolling pin, or stretch out using your hands. I put fine semolina on the bench to stop it sticking and it gives the bases a but of crunch.

Top with whatever you like. Tonight I made:
Mushrooms and turkey
Spinach, garlic, chilli and lemon juice
Proscuitto
Sweet potato, pine nuts and chevre
Broccoli, lemon juice and chilli

I used the tomato sauce as a base on all of them and topped all but the sweet potato with mozzarella. Sometimes I use a bit of parmesan, sometimes bocconcini although it can make the bases a bit soggy. I like to crush a few cloves of garlic and steep in olive oil which can be sprinkled over the pizzas before they go in the oven.

On the pizza stone they take about 5 minutes until the cheese melts and goes golden and the bases crisp up. You could just as easily use a baking tray, that has heated up in the oven.

What are your favourite pizza toppings?