Pizza Recipe

Today was a great day at work, and I came home inspired to do some cooking. Tonight we made homemade 3-meat pizza, and I have to share the sauce recipe...so easy and very good. After dinner, Adam and I sat together on the love seat and read our books, every once in awhile looking up and seeing the gorgeous leaves through our picture window. That sounds a bit corny, but it is just breathtaking right now in our back yard. It was a bit unlike us to sit together reading, but it was actually really nice. :) Adam is reading War As They Knew It, and I'm reading The Lace Reader. We'll keep you posted on how they turn out.

3-Meat Homemade Pizza
1 loaf frozen bread dough, thawed overnight in the refrigerator in a covered container
Pepperoni - 12-15 slices of small size
6 slices bacon, cut into pieces and fried/drained
2 slices thin deli ham, cut into pieces
shredded mozzarella cheese (not quite one med. bag)

Pizza Sauce
*This makes a somewhat chunky sauce - puree if you like it thinner. Make a double batch and freeze half for up to a month! Can be made a day or two ahead.
1 tsp. olive oil
1/4 c. finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 c. white wine
2-3 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 (14.5 oz.) can crushed tomatoes, undrained
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil (I used about 3 Tbsp.)
1/2 tsp. or more balsamic vinegar (I used at least 1 Tbsp.)

(this recipe works best if all of your ingredients are chopped/opened/ready when you start)
Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add olive oil. Add onion to pan and saute 3 min. or until tender, stirring often. Add garlic to pan, saute 30 seconds. Stir in wine - cook 30 seconds. Add tomato paste, oregano, pepper, and tomatoes. Reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat. Stir in basil and vinegar. Set aside.

Spread thawed bread dough thin but wide enough to cover most of a greased cookie sheet (this was a pain and takes forever, FYI, but keep at it) and bake the dough at 350 for 10 minutes. Take dough out of the oven and spread a layer of pizza sauce on it. Add a very thin layer of shredded mozzarella. Place meat toppings over thin cheese layer and then add another thin layer of cheese. Bake 20-30 minutes longer. Cut into squares and serve!
*Sauce recipe courtesy Cooking Light