Michael Symons Homemade Pizza Sauce Recipes

GRILLED WHITE PIZZA

Steps:

• Prepare a grill for diffused indirect heat by building the hot coals evenly around the perimeter of the grill. Remove the center ring from the grill grate and insert a medium cast-iron skillet. Invert another larger cast-iron skillet over the top. This acts as a pizza oven for your outdoor grill. (If using a gas grill, heat to medium-high heat.)
• For the pizza dough: Add the flour, honey, salt and yeast to a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Then add 1 3/4 cups room temperature water and the olive oil and pulse again until the dough comes together into a rough ball and rides around the bowl. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead a few times until a smooth elastic ball forms. Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces and place each in a quart-sized deli container or gallon-sized resealable plastic bag with a drizzle of olive oil. Allow to sit at room temperature for 1 hour, then refrigerate overnight and up to 5 days. This makes enough for 3 pizzas. Save the extra dough in the freezer for another time. It will last up to 2 months.
• When ready to use, remove the dough from the refrigerator and take it out of its storage vessel while still cold. Allow the dough to rest at room temperature for 1 hour before grilling.
• For the cheese mixture: In the meantime, combine the ricotta, mozzarella, pecorino and herbs in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
• To make the pizza: Dust a pizza peel or the back of a baking sheet with flour. Press one dough ball out on to the peel, shaping it into a circle. Slide the pizza onto the inverted cast-iron and dollop the cheese mixture over the surface. Scatter the asparagus, onions and Parmesan evenly over the surface and drizzle with olive oil. Cover the grill and bake until golden brown and crusty, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Using the peel, remove the pizza from the grill and slide it onto a cutting board. Drizzle with more olive oil, slice and serve with more freshly grated Parmesan over the top.
• (Alternatively, you can slide the pizza onto an upside-down sheet tray in the oven and cook in a 500 degrees F oven until golden brown and crusty, 10 to 15 minutes.)

PASTA WITH MEAT SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat a large saucepan over medium heat and add the oil. When hot, add the meat and cook, without stirring, until browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Break it up with a wooden spoon, then add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until starting to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the wine and bring to a simmer. Add the crushed tomatoes and oregano and season with salt and pepper. Simmer until thickened and the flavors come together, about 1 hour.
• About 20 minutes before the sauce is done, bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt liberally. Drop in the pasta, give it a stir and cook until al dente according to the package instructions. Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce. Remove from the heat, toss in the cheese and serve.

GRANDMA'S PIZZA

Steps:

• For the dough: Combine the flour, salt and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Stir to combine, then add 1 cup water. Mix on low speed until the dough comes together into a rough ball. Continue mixing at medium-low speed until the dough forms a smooth, silky ball, about 10 minutes. Form the dough into a tight ball, set in the bottom of the mixer bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place until the dough has roughly doubled in size, about an hour.
• Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F.
• Cut the dough in half; you should have enough for two 9-by-13-inch baking sheets. You can make both pizzas now, or hold the dough in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Lightly oil one or two 9-by-13-inch baking sheets. Add the dough and press down on it to spread it toward the edges. You won't be able to get it all the way to the edges, so spread it as much as you can without tearing. If the dough isn't stretching well, cover and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes, then stretch again.
• For the sauce: Put the tomatoes, olive oil, basil, garlic and some salt in a blender and puree until smooth.
• For the topping: Spread the sauce all the way to the corners of the dough. Top the sauce with the mozzarella and sprinkle with black pepper and chile flakes if using. Bake until the dough is crisp and the cheese is melted, 10 to 12 minutes. Top with the basil and some Parmesan and serve.

PARMESAN-CRUSTED POLENTA

Steps:

• Add 8 cups water, the oil and salt to a large saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.
• Slowly stream in the polenta while whisking constantly. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the polenta is thickened and smooth, about 3 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place a large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Drizzle with olive oil and evenly coat the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle 1 cup of the Parmesan evenly over the bottom of the pan and allow to toast until golden brown and nutty, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Pour the polenta over the Parmesan crust and smooth the surface. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan. Set at room temperature until firm, 20 to 30 minutes. (At this point, the polenta can be refrigerated up to overnight.)
• When ready to serve, place the pan back over medium heat to warm the cheese. Place a large plate or serving platter over the surface and invert the polenta onto the plate. Serve topped with your favorite sauce.

YIA YIA'S SUNDAY SAUCE

Steps:

• What makes this sauce so good is the long, slow cooking time, which allows it to develop a complex flavor. It shouldn't simmer; there should be just a bubble rising to the surface every now and then. Meaty beef bones add more depth and complexity. (If you have beef stock, you can add two cups of it in place of the beef bones.) This sauce is chunky with abundant tomato and sliced garlic. Depending on what you're using this for, it can be served as is (over a very thick hearty pasta or as part of a braising liquid). But if you were to use it for an angel hair or as a sauce for sauteed veal, you would probably want to puree it in a blender until it's uniformly smooth. This sauce freezes well, so you can make big batches, portion it into smaller containers, and freeze it when you need it.
• Heat the oil in a 4-quart saucepan or large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, 2 minutes. Add the salt and garlic and cook until everything is soft but not browned, about 3 minutes.
• Squeeze the tomatoes one by one into the pan, pulverizing them by hand, and pour in their juice, too. Add the bones, wine, oregano, red pepper flakes, if using, black pepper and bay leaf. Bring the sauce to a simmer, and then reduce the heat to its lowest possible setting, and continue to cook for 8 hours. The sauce should reduce by about one-third.
• Taste for seasoning and add more salt if necessary. Remove the bones and bay leaf. If not using right away, let the sauce cool, then cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 2 months.

MICHAEL SYMON'S PIZZA ROLL

Steps:

• FOR THE PIZZA DOUGH: In the bowl of your mixer, bloom the yeast in the water by mixing it in, breaking up any lumps, then letting it sit until it becomes slightly foamy and the water is cloudy, about 5 minutes.
• Combine the flour and salt, then add to the bloomed yeast mixture. With the dough hook attachment for your mixer, mix on medium speed for 11 minutes. The dough should come together as one mass and begin climbing the hook.
• After the dough has been mixed, turn it out into a lightly oiled mixing bowl, and let it proof until it is doubled in size. This should take a few hours, depending on how warm the air is. You should also have this bowl covered with a damp cloth or plastic wrap during this process so it doesn't dry out.
• After the dough has risen, portion it into 7-8, 9 oz. balls. Place the portioned dough on a sheet tray with a piece of parchment paper that has been lightly oiled. Cover the sheet tray really well with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. The dough will be rested and ready to use the next day.
• FOR THE PIZZA ROLLS: On a lightly floured surface, roll out one portion of the pizza dough into a 10x11" rectangle.
• Spread 3 tablespoons of sauce over the entire surface, leaving about an inch border.
• Spread out about ½ cup of the grated mozzarella over the sauce and season lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle about 2 teaspoons of parmesan over the top of this. Next start layering the pepperoni on top, 16- 20 slices, then place 5-6 whole basil leaves in a horizontal line in the center of the pizza. Drizzle a little bit of olive oil over the whole pizza.
• Working with the side closest to you, roll the pizza up, pinching the seam, and then tuck each side under.
• Place on a lightly oiled parchment lined sheet tray while you assemble the rest. Drizzle some olive oil on top of the pizza rolls, then crack some pepper on top and sprinkle a little bit of chili flakes and parmesan over the top. Makes 3 slits in the top of each roll.
• Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the top is very golden brown, making sure the dough in the center is not raw. Remove from the oven and let rest for about 5 minutes before slicing.

MICHAEL SYMON'S HOMEMADE PIZZA SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine the drained tomatoes, garlic, and dried herbs in a blender or food processor. Pulse until the desired consistency. I like to leave this one a little bit course.
• Pour into a bowl and season with salt and pepper. *This is a raw pizza sauce, meant to be cooked on the pizza.* .