Tangy,Tomatillo Pizza and Pasta Sauce

Pizza Gets a Wake-Up Call From Juliet Mae

For the last month or so, Bill has been into making pizza.

As you may have guessed, my handsome husband loves to play in the kitchen too!

Last December, I was casting around for a cool Christmas present; I somehow managed to wonder onto the kitchen gadget section of Amazon.

There it was: a white Mix-Master. It positively shouted “buy me”.

One week later, Bill was opening up a very large box. It was love at first sight.

A shiny new toy just for Christmas, what could be better?

In the several months that have passed, Bill has developed a flair for baking.

Recently, this new hobby has focused on all things PIZZA. While he modestly will opine that his crust isn’t quite there yet and that the sauce is just okay, most of his efforts are quite good!

The other day I noticed we had 2 tomatillos in the frig along with  freshly made pizza dough.

I thought, what if….

Several hours later, we had a lovely bright sauce, with a slightly sour tang. We spooned it onto the pizza with mild black olives.

Sour, citrus notes give tomatillo a flavor punch!

By adding toppings like mild olive and onion, we had created a spin on a classic Puttanesca Recipe with tomitillos standing in for the capers, kosher salt in lieu of the anchovy and the tobacco/currant flavor of Isot Chili instead of the traditional red chili flake.

When you think about it, this recipe is a nice example of how you can reinvent an ordinary dish by swopping out traditional elements for new ones. As you can see trying out new ideas in the kitchen can be a lot of fun. All is takes is a little imagination and cough, cough some interesting spices!

Confession: This is a brand new recipe ( made yesterday) I would love to hear any comments you may have!

Tangy Pizza Sauce Recipe
1 Can of San Marzano Whole Peeled Tomatoes (28 ounces)
6 Garlic Cloves: peeled and roughly chopped ( see the notes section below)
2 Tomatillos, roughly chopped
1 large yellow Onion
1 large pinch of about 1 tablespoon of Juliet Mae Italian Seasoning
1 pinch or about 2 teaspoons of Isot Chili
Kosher Salt to Taste
A good splash of Every Day California Extra Virgin Olive Oil ( Two ounces or 2 tablespoons)
A pat of butter

Optional:
If you want to freshen the sauce, you can add a small sprinkling of fresh parsley onto the sauce once it is spooned out it onto the pizza.

The final sauce should be a little chunky.

Directions:
Place a large pan onto medium heat.
Cut up the onions, chop the garlic and tomatillos.
Roughly chop a small amount of parsley and set aside.
Place the Every Day EVOO into a large pot with a pat of butter and heat.
Heat until the butter has melted into the oil.
Add the chopped onions, garlic and tomatillos and cook until softened, about  8 minutes.
It is important to not over cook, as the garlic can get bitter if it turns brown.
Add the Italian Seasoning to the cooking vegetables.
Stir the seasoning around with a wooden spoon.
Add the tomatoes and juice.
Let the tomatoes cook for five minutes, allowing the tomatoes to settle in with the vegetables.
Smash down the tomatoes with spoon or you can cut them into two or three pieces
Add the Isot Chili, sprinkle evenly.
Let cook for another five minutes, then add the salt.
Cover and cook for about 1.5 hours over low-medium.
( # 3 on an electric stove)
The sauce should have a very soft boil to it.
Uncover the pan and cook down the sauce another 45 minutes to thicken.
Let the sauce rest. Remove from the heat and leave uncovered for half an hour.
Use a wand blender or food processor and puree until you have a thick sauce.
This recipe will make enough sauce to cover several pizzas.
Or try it as a topping for pasta with a finish a cheese.

Notes:
When seasoning sauces, you want to allow the spices or salt to incorporate.  Therefore, take your time and add each element separately. This allows the flavor to penetrate the key elements (in this recipes the tomatoes). While this may seem fussy,  layering in the flavors, develops a richer sauce.

Do not add flour or bread to thicken the sauce. This will disrupt the flavor balance.
The flavor in this sauce comes from continuous soft cooking of the tomatoes and seasonings.