I don't roast or cook mine. I've been using canned tomatoes, and just pureeing them with a bit of oregano, sage, thyme, and a little olive oil (not much). We like it slightly chunky. Just got some good tomatoes from the farmers market, and I'll do the same with them, uncooked and pureed, although I will poach them and remove the skins first. I then freeze it in pizza-sized batches in ziplocks. The tomato sauce gets cooked enough for me on the pizza - I rather like the bright flavor.

You might try a couple test batches with all those wonderful tomatoes you have; try some on the stovetop, some roasted, and some uncooked.

ETA: forgot minced garlic : )

This is not specifically a pizza sauce - it's for fresh pasta - but I wouldn't hesitate to adapt it for pizza if I had really fresh tomatoes.

2 large ripe tomatoes, blanched, peeled, seeded

4 TB olive oil

1/4 cup chopped basil

1/4 cup chopped oregano

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp salt

black pepper

parmesan cheese

Mix all ingredients (exc. Parmesan) with 1 tb Olive Oil

Before serving add the other 3 TB olive oil.

Sprinkle with Parmesan.

On second thought, if these are market tomatoes, like the ones I bought last weekend...89cents a lb, on the vine, little bigger than a golfball, they are not garden fresh but hot house grown. Not the best for fresh sauce. Not bad but not garden summer grown. I ended up roasting mine on the far end of the grill and made a wonderful sauce for the lemon rosemary chicken. Used it on pizza last night.

Sleevendog, I’m our area, central Alberta, the hot house would be our only option until later in the summer. I said d fresh as opposed to canned. As I have so many fresh to use.

The thing about pizza sauce is that it shouldn't be watery or the pizza will be soggy. Cutting and roasting the tomatoes is an easy way to get the water out and introduce some caramelization and even char flavor, depending on how long you go. You can also just cook them down on the stove.

Once you have the consistency you want, the question is what flavor do you want? Some people just use salt or salt and pepper. Some throw every herb plus onion and garlic at it.

I usually go simple and add fresh herbs, aeromatics and spices on the pizza as desired. I have figured out that the quintessential pizza flavor, for me, is marjoram. Oregano, sure, but not 100% essential. Must have marjoram to be fully pizza flavor, however.

Hmmm. I know you said "sauce", but I far prefer slices of tomatoes added to my pizza in place of the sauce. Brush the crust with olive oil, add a layer of sliced tomatoes, some fresh herbs (dried if you don't have fresh will work), then whatever else you want. Bake as usual. Mmmm. I don't care much for red sauces but I do like slices of tomato on pizza. Also on foccaccia bread, which is nearly the same thing.

Annie

I find the easiest way to make fresh tomato sauce is

Cut them in half and place on a roasting tray, add some garlic cloves, shallots, seasoning and a little olive oil. Roast in the oven til they're shrivelled and the shallots are cooked, let cool enough so that you can remove the skins without burning your fingers,then blitz. It shouldn't be watery. If its not thick enough, you can reduce it. You can add basil or other herbs......

So many good ideas here, particularly roasting the tomatoes first. Jerzeegirl, that looks like a great recipe. I also freeze sauce, just in case I have a few pieces of leftover bread and someone needs a "side" with dinner:)

Like Annie, I opt for tomatoes over sauce (even the sauce that I make that my crew likes is really, really thick and intense!). Pizza Caprese in front of me and watch out!

CathyinSWPA

I like tomato slices on my pizza too. However, I remove the tomato guts and dry the tomato slices. I know that's weird but I really hate soggy pizza.

"Tomato Guts!" HA! You and my son, jerzeegirl. He even gets rid of what he calls "the gel" for his sandwiches:)

CathyinSWPA

lol. I know exactly what he means! But soggy tomatoes are not so bad in salads, where you expect soggy. They just ruin pizza. Improper mozzarella also can do a number. The mozz has to be pretty darn dry.

Ladies, really. It's tomato intestines. {rolling eyes}

I use fresh mozz, jerzeegirl, but let it sit on a paper towel... however, I admit to running out of time and not doing that, and I don't taste or see a difference. No sog. But on our loaded pizzas, we certainly have veggie juices running down our chins. Par-baking the crust takes care of the sog factor for me : )

Like Islay, I'm also an advocate of roasted tomato sauce. Making great tomato sauce is one of my superpowers ☺

There was a thread last year, on this here subject, where some of us go into further detail.

Sol

I just finished mine. I roasted about 6 medium tomato’s with garlic onion, peppers and a light wine. Reduced it for about an hour and a half and then added about of 2 tbsp of good tomato paste. It’s good, but spicy! I made need to back off on the spice on my pizza! I wanted to add a bit of ricotta that has Been resting in the fridge for a while, but I’m scared to screw it up.

I wouldn't add ricotta to the sauce, but definitely I would slap it on the pizza. Little dollops here and there. Yum.

Tomato guts? Intestines? Really? And all this time I've just been calling it "glop" or "goo". I'm definitely out of step. (grin) I do remove it (mostly) when making salsa because I don't want the salsa to be too thin, so I could see doing that for sauce also. I usually make sauce in large amounts and so put all my tomatoes through the Squeezo, which takes out the seeds and peels for me.

Sol is right, you can make a really good roasted tomato sauce by just putting everything on a sheet tray and roasting it until the tomatoes break down and any additions (like garlic) are soft enough to puree. I remove the skins as I dislike their texture, but I know some people just puree them with the skins on and don't seem to be bothered by them.

jerzeegirl, that's why I always brush the crust with olive oil, so the tomatoes don't make it too "wet", but if they are really juice I'll drain the slices before I use them.

And now I'm just waiting for tomato season, right now I have blossoms on the plants, but it's going to be a while before tomatoes....

Annie

But...a lot of the flavor is in the skin and intestines...

hahahaha! I love this thread because I can see of all of us sitting around the table and discussing tomato innards.

Aw, louise. Ricotta? Yes sirree! I agree with jerzeegirl and add almost as a condiment with each bite. Gosh, that ricotta really, really, really, sounds good. Hmmmmm (wheels spinning:)
CathyinSWPA

I love tomato innards!! Just cook 'em down!

Essential pizza seasonings... garlic, oregano. Basil mighty fine, too.

Chunky tomato works...

The most awful pink hard supermarket tomatoes can become delicious if slow roasted with garlic onions. Even better with fresh tomatoes from the garden. I made a fair amount of roasted orange plum tomatoes with garlic and lemon thyme on my grill last fall. Considerably less made it to the freezer than got made. It was delicious on pizza too.