I make pizza at home. For the sauce: Pour a teaspoon of olive oil in a small saucepan, put it on low heat, and then finely mince two cloves of garlic. Fry the garlic till it just starts to turn brown. Remove from heat. Then pour a ~8oz. can of peeled tomatoes into the saucepan. Mash them up in the saucepan so you get mostly sauce but with some (small) chunks--makes a nice difference from just-plain tomato sauce. Put back on medium heat and add a half bayleaf, and a couple of pinches each of oregano, Italian seasoning and basil.Then add about 2 oz of red wine and, if you have it, 2 oz of a sweet dessert wine like Marsala or Sherry. Mix everything up thoroughly and simmer (very low heat), covered, for about an hour.

For the dough: Put two cups of flour in a big mixing bowl. Add 1 teaspoon each sugar and salt, one 1/4-oz package of activated dry yeast, and one tablespoon of olive oil. Mix thoroughly. Put 6 oz of warm water in the measuring cup and gradually sprinkle the water over the mixture, kneading it by hand as you go. If you need more water, wet your fingers under the tap and keep on. DON'T use too much water! When the consistency is right (no dry spots, dough very sticky to your fingers), heat your oven for one minute, shut it off, then cover the mixing bowl with a dishtowel and let the dough rise for at least an hour.

Word to the wise: you can't get a really crispy crust using those cheap aluminum pizza pans. You need a baking stone. Call a local tile store and ask if they have a Saltillo stone (unglazed) that can fit on a shelf in your oven--14" - 16" square should do it. Will cost you about $3. NEVER USE A GLAZED TILE--THEY GIVE OFF TOXIC STUFF! You'll pay a whole lot more for a commercial baking stone online. Before using the stone, wash it in plain water (no soap, ever!), drain it, and sit it in the oven at about 200 degrees for several hours. When ready to bake pizza, put the stone in the oven at 500 degrees for an hour before you put the pizza on it.

We have a local bread factory that sells pizza dough. It's very good. However, I'm with JG. I started using Boboli a year or so ago, and it's great. I like the thin crust, but my daughters like the original, so I usually get both. I tend to make it when I have leftover sauce, and love to make some plain cheese, others with meatballs or sausage. YUM.

As for pasta, depends on what you want. Here's my Penne Vodka recipe.


Penne with Vodka Sauce

2 tbsp. butter
½ onion, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tbsp. flour
2 cups cream
¼ cup vodka
¼ cup tomato paste
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
Sprinkle of basil
1 cup grated cheese

• Melt butter in a pot
• Sautee the onion and garlic over a low flame. Do not allow garlic to brown
• Add flour and thicken
• Add the cream, vodka and tomato paste
• Stirring constantly, bring slowly to a boil. Sauce will thicken slightly
• Add the seasonings
• Add grated cheese, stirring constantly, until completely melted and blended
• Serve over one pound of cooked penne pasta