Summary: This sauce was inspired by a margarita pizza I enjoyed at Pizza a la Leña in Taxco, Mexico – a little place just below the massive and ornate Santa Prisca Cathedral. I have since included the recipe in a number of my other creations and experiments ranging from homemade pan pizza to nood-less lasagna. The canned tomatoes give it a consist tang, and the process of mashing versus running everything through a food processor grants the sauce increased depth of flavor.

 

Recommended equipment:

Molcajete or mortar & pestle

 

Ingredients:

1 28-oz. can of peeled tomatoes

2 Garlic cloves

5 chiltepin peppers (or ½ tsp red pepper flakes)

½ tbsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

½ tsp dried rosemary

 

*Cento San Marzano tomatoes are my favorite.

​

Directions:

1. Pull out a molcajete (or mortar & pestle) along with a bowl large enough to contain 28 ounces of tomato sauce.

2. Place garlic cloves, chiltepin peppers, and dried herbs into the molcajete and mash.

3. Begin adding the whole tomatoes to the molcajete, mashing, and then moving them to the large bowl.

4. Keep doing this until all the tomatoes have been mashed.

5. Add the remainder of the sauce from the can to the tomatoes in the bowl.

6. Add salt to taste at small increments. Sometimes I don’t even salt the sauce if I’m going to be using the sauce in conjunction with a salty cheese (e.g. Parmesan Reggiano)

7. If using this sauce for pizza or for a cooked dish, no cooking is necessary. If using it as a dipping sauce and/or if a longer refrigerator life is desired, heat the sauce until it simmers, and allow it to simmer for at least 5 minutes.