There is one thing I don't do. One thing that probably most people would laugh at me for and call me a food snob. I can not, no way, no how, buy jarred tomato sauce. You know that Ragu stuff. Blame my mom, she never bought it when I was growing up. She'd make huge batches of homemade sauce that we seemed to always have on hand so there was never really a need.
The only problem with not buying sauce is that I have to make sauce, but (here's another quirk) I rarely make my homemade spaghetti sauce in the summer. Why? I'm not quite sure but I probably won't cook up my first fall batch until sometime towards the end of September.
This is all leading to the fact that when I'm craving pizza and want to make it at home in the summer I don't have sauce available to me because I won't buy it and I won't make it. Yes, you are totally allowed to call me crazy now. I deserve it.
Anyway, so what I do do is come up with alternative sauce options that still cure my hankering for pizza. Traditional pizza not crazy pizzas. I can come up with a billion other things to use besides a tomato based sauce knockoff that would probably be delicious (pesto, BBQ sauce, taco sauce, salsa) all of which would make interesting tasty pizza alternatives. However, normally when I'm craving pizza, I want it pretty traditional. Plus I couldn't sell the husband on a pesto pie anyway. Then again I didn't sell him on this either.
So today with some whole wheat pizza dough defrosted from Trader Joe's I made two little pies. One for me and one for the toddler. Each using different “sauce-less” ideas.
I'm going to post the recipe (idea) for 1 servings but just remember, have FUN. With a little whole wheat dough you can really make anything you want!
Ingredients
- 4oz (114g) of whole wheat pizza dough (Don't have a trader joe's try my homemade)
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste and/or a ½ of a fresh tomato sliced thin
- Sprinkle of garlic, basil, kosher salt, pepper, onion powder and parsley
- 2 oz of cheese
- Your favorite toppings (I used diced bell peppers, diced zucchini, diced baby spianch, diced turkey pepperoni)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425.
Roll out the dough to desired thickness.
Smear with tomato paste or sliced tomatoes.
Sprinkle with Spices
Top with toppings
Sprinkle with cheese.
Bake on a cookie sheet for 10 minutes on the lowest rack.
How much easier can you get!
Here's our little pizza making station. I made mine with the tomato slices and the toddler's with the paste. Both were delicious!
P.S. Notice the pizza image at the top of the page. Do you see what's in the background? I gave the husband the choice of homemade pizza or leftover Kentucky Fried Chicken for lunch. Do you believe he chose the leftover KFC?!? Just look at that pizza – how do you NOT want to eat it. Not to mention its 10x healthier for you! Oh well, now I have another 4oz of dough to use for myself tomorrow! :~)
Oh! and don't even get me started on the huge glass of soda!
📖 Recipe
Sauce-less Personal Pizzas
Ingredients
- 4 oz 114g of whole wheat pizza dough (Don't have a trader joe's try my homemade)
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste and/or a ½ of a fresh tomato sliced thin
- Sprinkle of garlic basil, kosher salt, pepper, onion powder and parsley
- 2 oz of cheese
- Your favorite toppings I used diced bell peppers, diced zucchini, diced baby spianch, diced turkey pepperoni
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425.
- Roll out the dough to desired thickness.4 oz 114g of whole wheat pizza dough (Don't have a trader joe's try my homemade)
- Smear with tomato paste or sliced tomatoes.2 tablespoon tomato paste and/or a ½ of a fresh tomato sliced thin
- Sprinkle with SpicesSprinkle of garlic
- Top with toppingsYour favorite toppings
- Sprinkle with cheese.2 oz of cheese
- Bake on a cookie sheet for 10 minutes on the lowest rack.
Evilwoman
Oh my goodness Roni! I made this tonite and I LOVED it!
I didn't include the turkey sausage, instead just loaded up on veggies. This was the best homemade tasting pizza I had in a LONG time! Thank you for posting the recipe and pics! I love your site!!
Keep up the great work, you rock!!
roni
Roberta - This may help....
https://greenlitebites.com/2008/02/21/printing-recipes-%e2%80%93-just-a-note/
Roberta
Hi- I like your website. There's a lot of good recipes on there. But I'd like to know how to print them out without having to print out everything else that's on there. I'd like to just print out the recipe.
Thanks,
Roberta
roni
Adriana - I HAVE! very tasty!
roni
Jill! Sure! I'd do some a small sprinkle of Parmesean. I guess that's still cheese! lol
Adriana
Just like everyone above me has said - my mother would KILL me if I bought anything that was in a jar that they didn't put together themselves. I definitely make my own pizza with sliced tomatoes when I'm in a pinch, but have you ever tried salsa? I think it adds a different kick and is pretty tasty - it's also really good when it's topped with the Mexican blend cheese.
Sabrina
You continue to amaze me!
Jill Shelley
I wonder if these could be made without cheese. I think I will try. They sure look good....love all those tomatoes on top. Never seen anything but chopped tomatoes but I like how you did it.
Tara from Portland
I like chicken pizzas better than original. I only make bbq chicken pizza (with red onion, jalapeno, zucchini, bell pepper) or taco pizza with a bean sauce (I blend black beans and salsa to make it a thinner consistency) and the same toppings as above. I bulk up with more veggies if I am hungrier and I never end up eating the whole thing.
Annette
I started making my own sauce this year with hidden veggies similar to your recipe. My parents keep supplying me with tomatoes from their garden this summer and so I just keep on cookin'. My freezer is well stocked right now. I also use the sauce in chili and soups. You can totally change it with different spices...like lots of cumin for chili 😉 Hubby must have been crazy to pass on the pizza!
Megan
I'm totally with you on the no sauce from a jar thing! When a recipe calls for marinara I make what I call my 15-Minute Marinara: I saute a 1/4 cup of minced onion and a couple of minced garlic cloves, toss in a can of crushed tomatoes, some black pepper, and a Tbsp. each of basil and oregano. Let it simmer for 10 minutes and you're done.
Michele
I am a food snob too! I have never, ever used sauce from a jar. My Mom always made homemade sauce and I've always made my own. I make up batches of marinara sauce and freeze them in individual portions so when I want a pizza or some pasta I can just defrost one at a time.
Your pizza looks delish! The tomato slices are a great idea. I'll have to try that sometime.