Mazzio's - Pizza Sauce: Garlic Basil Olive Oil Recipe

Combine and Simmer

In a medium saucepan, combine the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, granulated sugar, salt, black pepper, dried oregano, dried basil, dried parsley, and onion powder. Whisk to combine until smooth.

Cook

Place the saucepan over medium-low heat and bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce heat to low and let simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes to meld flavors and slightly thicken. If the sauce thickens too much, add 1–2 tablespoons of water.

Warm the Oil

While the sauce simmers, place 6 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, smashed garlic cloves, fresh basil leaves, and red pepper flakes in a small saucepan or skillet.

Infuse

Warm the oil over the lowest heat setting for 5–7 minutes — do not let it boil or fry. The goal is to gently release garlic and basil aromatics into the oil. Remove from heat once the garlic is fragrant and basil has wilted.

Strain

Allow the oil to cool slightly, then strain the oil through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, pressing on the basil/garlic to extract oil. Discard solids or reserve for another use. Reserve the infused oil for finishing and flavoring the sauce.

Combine Infused Oil with Sauce

Once the base sauce has simmered for 20 minutes, remove it from heat. Stir in 3 tablespoons of the garlic-basil infused olive oil into the hot sauce to integrate the fresh garlic and basil flavors. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.

Add Fresh Herbs and Brightener

Stir in the finely chopped fresh basil and optional lemon zest to brighten the sauce. If you prefer a more olive oil-forward flavor (as on some Mazzio’s pizzas), fold in the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil as a finishing drizzle.

Cool and Use

Allow the sauce to cool to room temperature before spreading on pizza dough (hot sauce can make dough soggy). The sauce can be used immediately or refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.