Pizza Night (Homemade Marinara Sauce)



Red, White and Blue Cupcakes for dessert!

 This year we decided to do Grilled Pizza for our 4th of July meal.  Nothing beats the taste of fire-cooked pizza crust!  I used directions from here (including their recipe for homemade pizza crust found here).  I tried to make personal pan size pizzas, but let me tell ya', that crust really rises!  Just a couple of notes, if you try this at home:

• Make sure your fire is H-O-T!!!  And make sure it stays hot throughout the cooking process.  If it starts slowing down, it will take a loooong time for the crusts to cook through.


My name is April....not Luigi.  : )


• Get your crust as thin as possible, if you want crispy crusts.  Ours was a little thick for my taste, but the rest of the family enjoyed it.  Either way, the flavor is terrific.  It'd be great with fresh chopped herbs mixed in, too.

I decided to make homemade marinara sauce to top the pizzas, so I looked online at a few different recipes and ended up using my own measurements.  Why are people so stingy with the garlic?  Seriously, people...why you holdin' out on me?

Homemade Marinara Sauce

2 Tbsp. Extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

5-6 cloves garlic

48 oz. tomato sauce

4 tsp. Italian seasoning

In a heavy bottomed saucepan or stock pot, heat olive oil.  Add onions and garlic and saute over medium heat (do not let them brown.)  When onions are translucent, stir in tomato sauce and Italian seasoning.  Simmer over low heat for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.  The sauce should thicken as it simmers.  Remove from heat and use as desired (as pizza or pasta topping.)  

*This made enough for our family to have some for pizza night and I had leftovers to freeze about 2 cups for future use.

Need some topping combo ideas for your own make-your-own pizza night?  Here are some ideas I gathered for our family.

White: Shredded chicken, Alfredo sauce, mozzarella, basil
Margherita: Tomatoes, basil, mozzarella
BBQ: Shredded chicken, red onion, BBQ sauce, cilantro, marinara, mozzarella
Greek: Olive oil, red pepper flakes, garlic, basil, green onions, tomatoes, mozzarella, feta cheese, olives
Hawaiian: ham, marinara, mozzarella, pineapple
Garden-style: Tomatoes, yellow squash, zucchini, oregano, basil, Parmesan, olive oil

Buon appetito!