Recipe: Pizza ala Siciliana and Sicilian Sauce for Michelle

Sicilian Sauce

3 tb olive oil
2 tb tomato paste
1 md onion; finely chopped
1 cn crushed tomatoes; (28oz)
2 ts dried basil; crumbled with added puree
1 ts dried oregano; crumbled
salt and fresh ground pepper
3 lg garlic cloves; minced

Heat oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, basil and oregano. Cook until onion softens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes. Mix in garlic and cook 2 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Simmer until sauce is of desired thickness. Season with salt and pepper. (Sauce can be prepared ahead. Cover and refrigerate 1 week or freeze up to 1 month.)

Pizza Ala Siciliana
Yield: 1 Pizza

3/4 lb pizza dough
semolina or cornmeal for dusting
1 tb olive oil, preferably extra virgin
1/2 c tomato sauce
6 black olives, pitted & sliced
6 green olives, pitted & sliced
3 anchovy fillets, rinsed, patted dry; & chopped
1 tb drained capers
1 tb freshly grated parmesan cheese

Place a pizza stone, baking tiles or an inverted baking sheet on the lowest rack of a cold oven; preheat for 30 minutes to 500 F or the highest setting. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and pat into a disk. Use a rolling pin or your hands to roll or stretch the dough into a cicle that is 1/4 inch thick and 10 to 12 inches in diameter. Transfer to a semolina or cornmeal dusted pizza peel or inverted baking sheet. Brush the dough with a little of the olive oil. Spread tomato sauce over the dough to within 1/2 inch of the edge. Distribute olives,
anchovies and capers over the sauce. Sprinkle with cheese. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Carefully slide the pizza onto th heated pizza stone and bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until the bottom is crisp and browned and the top is bubbling.