Pizza Sauce

This weekend I tried out a recipe I've been meaning to try for some time...
 http://www.pizzamaking.com/thincrust.php

I am a HUGE fan of pizza and I have been ever since I can remember.  One of my favorite activities as a kid was when the whole family went to Me & Eds Pizza to celebrate birthdays.  I recall they had a wonderful bubbly cracker crust and lately I've been seeking to replicate it.  It seems where I live, the fashion in pizza is a very thick, doughy crust.  In my abbreviated research this is often referred to as a "Chicago" crust.  The above recipe is referred to as a "California" crust.  It comes as close as any I've found to matching the texture I'm after.  It is crisp yet chewy and stands up to heavy toppings.

Thin crust pepperoni pizza with green peppers and mushrooms

Another challenge on my quest for pizza perfection is the sauce.  Too often when I make pizza at home I open a can or a bottle and try to be happy with what comes out.  No more!  I prefer a pasty sauce to a liquid sauce and I feel it holds more flavor in the high temperatures of cooking pizza.

1.5 oz dried sun-dried tomato
6 floz boiling water
6 oz Tomato past
1 tsp chili paste
2 cloves fresh garlic
1 small fresh shallot
1/2 tsp black peppercorns (crushed)
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp dried red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp chili powder
1-2 tbsp honey
1t white wine
salt & pepper to taste

1. Rehydrate the sun dried tomatoes in 6oz. boiling water til soft.  Reserve tomato water.
2. Combine remaining ingredients in a food processor and pulse til blended and coarsely chopped.  When blended turn processor on and add water and wine in a continuous thin stream.  Blend til smooth.  Refrigerate about 30 min. prior to using to allow flavors to meld.

Chardonnay Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce

As a young single person, one of my weeknight "go-to" dishes was a tomato Alfredo sauce served over pasta.  Typically, I would reheat a bottle of commercially available sauce, and toss into it whatever pasta was in the pantry and crown it with whatever steamed vegetable  the "crisper" had to offer (usually broccoli).

My tastes have evolved since then and much has changed about my knowledge of how to extract maximum flavor from simple ingredients.  This is an ongoing project for me and I continue to refine the flavor profile.  Deconstructing what I loved about the dish I set out to develop a sauce that has a creamy texture, a strong tomato flavor, A notably boozy note, and a salty finish.

 I'm happy to introduce this as I find it a marked improvement over what you can buy commercially.  I selected Chardonnay  for this dish because I like its robust oakiness.  Any dry white wine would work.

Ingredients:

1.5 cups heavy cream

2 ounces sun-dried tomatoes (dry style, very thinly sliced)

1 bay leaf

1 tsp dried red pepper flakes

1 garlic clove (crushed)

1 tablespoon olive oil 

1/8 tsp salt

1 sweet yellow onion (peeled, thin pole to pole slices)

1 garlic clove (minced)

1 ounce tomato paste

8 ounces chardonnay

8 ounces tomato juice

2 ounces Parmigiano Regiano (finely grated)

white roux

Method:  

1. Infuse the cream:  In a small saucepan over low heat combine cream, bay leaf, red pepper flakes and 1 crushed garlic clove.  Bring to scald, lower heat, and reduce to about 1 cup volume.  Remove bay leaf and keep warm.  
2. Caramelize aromatics:  In a large sateuse, heat olive oil over medium heat.  When oil is ready add onions and toss lightly with salt to draw out the moisture.  Saute onions until they start to caramelize.  Add minced garlic and stir to combine.  If garlic begins to burn, reduce heat.  Add a bit more oil to the pan if things get too dry.    
3. Deglaze, reduce, and thicken sauce: When the onions and garlic have caramelized, add the tomato paste and stir well.  Heat for about 1 minute or until the tomato paste begins to stick to the pan.  Deglaze the pan with the wine, scrape the suc from the pan.  Add warm cream mixture and tomato juice, stirring well.  Heat through and thicken with white roux and reduce to desired consistency.  Remove from heat and stir in the cheese a little at a time.  
4. Serve over hot al-dente pasta.