Super Bowl Sunday is a little over a week away and although my Patriots didn’t quite make it, I’m still excited for the big game. This year I will be focusing more of my attention on the food and drinks, which isn’t a totally bad thing. Pizza is a staple at football parties and I almost think that guests expect it, just like they expect plenty of beer. What they probably don’t expect though is homemade pizza. Guess what? I think homemade pizza takes less time to make than ordering and it’s 100x more delicious. Almost everyone likes a traditional Fresh Mozzaarella Pizza, and with only a few simple ingredients, it’s pretty quick and easy to throw together during the excitement of the big game.

Make homemade dough the morning of and store in the refrigerator or better yet purchase fresh, pre-made dough. A lot of grocery stores make pretty fabulous dough and it can be a huge time saver. For this recipe I made homemade sauce the week before and simply just pulled it out of my freezer, but again, you can find some delicious sauces at the store. My personal favorites are Rao’s and Mid’s… I think you’ll like them too. Simply slice some fresh mozzarella, top with fresh basil and bake.

It’s Super Bowl Sunday, and store bought pizza just won’t make the cut on my roaster this season. Gear up for the big game, and bring tons of taste and flavor with delicious homemade pizza.

Ingredients:
Pizza dough, homemade or store-bought
All-purpose flour, for dusting
3 cup Tomato Sauce, recipe follows
Fresh basil leaves
Fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced into thin rounds
Cornmeal, for stone
Special equipment: Pizza stone
Basic Tomato Sauce:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 red onion, small dice
4 tablespoons minced garlic
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 fresh basil leaves, chopped
3 tablespoons red wine
1 (28-ounce) can whole plum tomatoes
1/2 cup water

Directions: 

1. Place a pizza stone in the oven. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F, allowing the stone to get hot.

2. Roll out the pizza dough on a floured surface into approximately an 8 to 10-inch round and 1/4-inch thick. Ladle the sauce onto the dough and spread it over top, leaving about a 1-inch border around the edge. Top with the mozzarella rounds and fresh basil.

3. Carefully remove the pizza stone from the oven, and dust with the cornmeal. Place the pizza on top of the stone and pop the whole thing in the oven. Bake until crust is golden and the cheese has melted, about 10 minutes.

4. Cut into wedges and serve immediately.

Basic Tomato Sauce:
1. Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes, until onions are soft and translucent. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and add the basil leaves, red wine, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 20 to 25 minutes.

2. Cool the sauce before using it to make pizza.

Recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse, 2007