Homemade Tomato Sauce for Pizza

Ingredients

• Fresh tomatoes (2 pounds, ripe)
• Olive oil (2 tablespoons)
• Onion (1 medium, finely chopped)
• Garlic (3 cloves, minced)
• Tomato paste (2 tablespoons)
• Dried oregano (1 teaspoon)
• Dried basil (1 teaspoon)
• Sugar (1 teaspoon)
• Salt (1/2 teaspoon (or to taste))
• Black pepper (1/4 teaspoon (or to taste))

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Score a small 'X' on the bottom of each tomato to help with peeling.
2. Carefully place the tomatoes in the boiling water for about 1 minute until the skins start to loosen, then transfer them to a bowl of ice water to cool.
3. Once cooled, peel the skins off the tomatoes, remove the cores, and chop them into small pieces.
4. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and chopped onion.
5. Sauté the mixture until the onion becomes translucent and the garlic is fragrant, about 5 minutes.
6. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, dried oregano, dried basil, salt, and black pepper to the saucepan. Stir well to combine all the ingredients.
7. Reduce the heat to low and let the sauce simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally until it thickens and the flavors meld together.
8. Remove the sauce from heat and allow it to cool slightly before spreading it over your favorite pizza dough.