From A Past Edition Of The New Orleans Menu Daily By Tom Fitzmorris Click here for the current edition Fresh Pizza Sauce Pizza is everywhere in Rome, where we spent the last two days of our vacation before returning home. We had pizza at least once a day, and now I'm hooked on it. I was happy to find that the Romans bake pizzas more or less the same way I do--very thin crust, topped with a modest amount of ingredients that don't get the crust soggy. But I think my sauce is better. It's not mine, really, but an adaptation of the best idea I got from Chef Andrea Apuzzo when I was working on his cookbook. Here it is: pizza sauce does not have to be cooked. This, at last, revealed the problem with all pizza sauce! The following concoction may seem a little too runny, but trust me--it works, and has a marvelous fresh flavor. 1 28-ounce can whole peeled Italian tomatoes, juice reserved 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil 2 tsp. chopped garlic (or more, if you love garlic) 6-10 leaves fresh basil 6 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, chopped 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper 1/4 tsp. dried oregano 1/4 tsp. salt Put all the ingredients into a food processor and process for about 20 seconds. That's it! Do not cook; just ladle it right on the pizza crust and top with cheese and whatever else you like. Makes enough for about four twelve-inch pizzas. Click here for an index of recipes from past editions. © 2006 Tom Fitzmorris. All rights reserved. news@nomenu.com