Iron Mike's Sweet Tomato Pizza Sauce - the Spirit of Cincinnati Recipe - Food.com (2024)

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Community Pick

Submitted by Mr-Mom

"So I grew up in Cincinnati. 18 years of Cincy Chili, Ribs, Ice Cream, and, of course, LaRosa's Pizza, whose sauce is flavorful and SWEET. Now that I've been away, I find you can't get any pizza remotely close ANYwhere else. Now this is no copycat recipe, but it captures the spirit of Buddy L's pizza sauce. It complements vegetable toppings as well as meats... My wife and I have not ordered pizza out since this sauce was concocted... I HIGHLY recommend using caetb's pizza dough with this sauce. (Recipe #38512 - the one with the wine...) I put the ingredients in the bread machine and it turns out great every time. I cook the finished pizza between 400 and 425 degrees fahrenheit for 9-12 minutes on a normal cookie sheet, or 11-15 minutes on an "air cookie sheet." (My wife and I prefer the normal cookie sheet, so the crust cooks and the cheese doesn't burn...) I'd love to hear feedback from others, especially misplaced Cincinnati Folks - let me know your thoughts!Mike's Notes: Since I concocted and posted this recipe, I have been back to Cincinnati... Needless to say, when I had the "real thing," I was mildly disappointed! Doh! I'm thinking about decreasing the "sweet" contents by 1/2 tbsp each on the honey and brown sugar - it IS awfully sweet! Okay - enough already - enjoy!"

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Iron Mike's Sweet Tomato Pizza Sauce - the Spirit of Cincinnati Recipe - Food.com (5) Iron Mike's Sweet Tomato Pizza Sauce - the Spirit of Cincinnati Recipe - Food.com (6)

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Ready In:
30mins

Ingredients:
13
Yields:

4-6 pizza saucings

Serves:
15

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ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 (28 ounce) can tomato puree
  • 1 teaspoon dried onion, minced or chopped
  • 12 teaspoon dried basil
  • 12 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 12 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 14 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 14 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cloves fresh minced garlic
  • 12 tablespoon minced carrot
  • 1 12 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • fresh ground pepper, to taste

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directions

  • In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat.
  • Add the Tomato Puree; watch out for splatterage!
  • Add everything else and simmer uncovered on low, stirring frequently, for 30-60 minutes, until desired consistency.
  • Tips:

  • Freeze leftover sauce until ready to use; When using on pizza dough, thaw to room temperature; Thaws nicely in the microwave.
  • Don't use too much pepper.
  • You can mince a baby carrot in the garlic press after microwaving it for 5-10 seconds- just cut it in half before putting it through the press- and that equals about 1/2 Tablespoon.
  • Either Light or Dark Brown Sugar is fine, but the dark brown sugar makes the sauce DEEP red- almost maroon.
  • If you want the sauce even sweeter, just add more Honey next time.

Questions & Replies

Iron Mike's Sweet Tomato Pizza Sauce - the Spirit of Cincinnati Recipe - Food.com (9)

  1. Does it taste like Minsky's secret pizza sauce? Their minskitoni sauce?

    breaunaallison84

  2. Has anyone tried hot-water bath canning this sauce? I’m cooking down a load of garden tomatoes right now and would love to make and can some sweet Cinci sauce!

    Tamms 13

  3. Did you post the recipe before or after you doubled the sugar, honey and spices?

    Sias F.

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Reviews

  1. This is pretty close to Buddy's. I worked for LaRosa's for 7 years and this is on the money. I will know for sure once it cools down and I put it on a Pie :-)! After cooling it was a little weak compared to the real thing so, I "kicked it up a notch". I almost doubled the sugar and honey (3 TBS each) but I also doubled all of the spices. Simmered it a while longer and this time when it cooled it was dead on. I had some thin crusts bought from either Sam's or GFS in the freezer so I pulled one out and made a 12" 4 item pie. I haven’t eaten an entire 12" 4 item pie since I quit LaRosa's 14 years ago but I swear I couldn't stop till it was all gone!!!!! I grow and can my own tomatoes every year so instead of the puree I used 2 pints of Roma's drained and ran through a blender. I was out of fresh garlic so I used 3 tsp. dried garlic powder. For the carrots...I used Gerber baby food :-0.

    BarneysBurgers

  2. Hats off to Iron Mike!I made this and this is the best tasting pizza/pasta sauce I have tasted in so very long. I know make it in big batches and freeze the extra. I use it for both pizza & pasta. I get rave reviews every time. I made a egg plant parm with this. And it was the best egg plant parm I've tasted in my life. So again thank you so very much Mike. I'll be making this for many many years to come.

  3. I Grew Up in Ohio, we moved to Florida and This Sauce is Excellent! It does remind me of LaRosa's Pizza. I did Tweak just a bit by adding 2 Tablespoons of Tomato Paste and 1 Tablespoon of Butter and Doubled the Spices. Thank you!

    bevington8

  4. I had never had anything like this, and I made it to a "T". I did pay attention to some reviews about adding some saltier cheeses and used a 45% MOZZ/45%PROV/10%grated Romano to offset the sweet. It was very good.

    Wannabee Houston Ch

  5. I found this recipe a few years ago looking for either a Papa John's reproduction or just a general sweet pizza sauce. Most of the recipes I've found online have been a huge disappointment, aside from anything from Alton Brown. This, on the other hand, is the only sauce recipe I ever bother with. I've actually come back to this website at least 3 times to recopy it. I think one of the things that was intriguing was the minced carrot. I don't know if this is based on a particular restaurant's sauce, I only know it's great.

    donaldrollerwilson

see 36 more reviews

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Tweaks

  1. I didn’t have tomato purée so I made do with a 15 oz can of tomato sauce and a 12 oz can of tomato paste. I used both of those and followed everything else exactly. Came out great. Added a couple of tablespoons of water toward the end to get perfect thick consistency for spreading on pizza dough.

    pdsmts

  2. This is my go-to sauce..but I like a bit of spice. So Bobby Flay recently put piquillo peppers in his sauce for a eggplant Parmesan for a bit of spice..so I added a fairly large slice (think about 2 tablespoons to a 1.5 amount version of this recipe) to my sauce. It's AWESOME. Tip: piquillo peppers are usually in the Latino section of your market, Walmart carries them.

    Crystal F.

  3. Made this the other night for dinner. I know we found a new pizza sauce. It was fantastic, quick and easy. I subbed 1T of light corn syrup for the honey as I had none on hand. These are the things that I refuse to buy at the store as they are so easy to make at home and this recipe is a great example!

    Yinzer Chef

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

Mr-Mom

  • 6 Followers
  • 6 Recipes
  • 1 Tweak

Hello!<table align=right bgcolor=#ffa573 cellspacing=1 cellpadding=0 margin=200 width=306><tr><td><table bgcolor=white cellpadding=2><tr><td><img src=http://www.mikeandkathy.com/wordpress/wp-gallery/2007-08kids/slides/P8220016.jpg width=300></td></tr></table></td></tr></table>I am the husband to my wife and father to my boy and girl, singer, songwriter, and enjoy cooking as a hobby (and even a stress release). Although I'm not formally trained, I can do more than boil water. Going out to eat becomes less and less pleasurable, the more I learn...I find myself thinking, "I can make this...And it won't cost $18.95!" SO - I learn to make it through trial and error, and maybe get some help from the folks at 'zaar! :) My wife and I make our own pizza, our own espresso drinks, and bake our own bread, thanks to recipezaar! I love this site - there's so many new things I'd like to try!

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Iron Mike's Sweet Tomato Pizza Sauce - the Spirit of Cincinnati Recipe  - Food.com (2024)

FAQs

Why is some pizza sauce sweet? ›

Your regular sauce and sugar added so that's what sweet sauce is. People say they put brown sugar and in it honey in it.

How do you make pizza sauce less sweet? ›

Diluting a sweet tomato sauce will dull its sweetness, so you can add water or chicken or vegetable broth, a little at a time until the sauce tastes better. Or, if you like spicy food, you can try spicing the tomato sauce with some crushed chili flakes, which should help balance out its sweetness.

What is the best sauce to put on pizza? ›

Five Best Sauces to Dip your Favorite Pizza in
  • Mayonnaise. This is one of the most loved pizza dips that are sure to pamper each and every taste buds of the person tasting it. ...
  • Tomato Ketchup. Tomato ketchup is one of the most common sauces that are used to boost up the taste of a pie. ...
  • Barbecue Sauce. ...
  • Honey. ...
  • Garlic Paste.

Should I put sugar in my pizza sauce? ›

"Taste your sauce at the very end of cooking," advises Epicurious Food Editor Rhoda Boone. "If it tastes a little too acidic, that's when you add a pinch of sugar." Add it just like you would add salt: a little bit at a time, until you get the flavor you want—and without any shame.

What can I add to my pizza sauce to make it taste better? ›

Use high-quality San Marzano tomatoes for the best possible flavor, and don't skimp on the garlic or olive oil. Fresh herbs like basil or thyme can also add a nice touch of flavor to your pizza sauce.

What can I add to sauce to make it sweeter? ›

Stir in sugar to make a very sweet sauce. If you prefer, you can use honey instead.

How do you sweeten sauce without sugar? ›

So, sweet foods taste sweeter with a splash of lemon or a bit of orange zest. Blend zest, juice, or both into sauces, dressings, baked goods, or drinks. Use any that you like (lemon, orange, grapefruit, lime, etc.), or combine them.

Should pizza sauce taste sweet? ›

If you make your own, it should have a nice balance between slightly acidic and a bit of sweetness. Store bought always has added sugar or sweeteners. If you make your own, it should have a nice balance between slightly acidic and a bit of sweetness.

Why is Papa John's pizza sauce sweet? ›

A former Papa John's manager noted on Reddit that in addition to the chain using fresh vegetables, the sauce has a sweet flavor because it's "full of sugar." According to Papa John's website, sunflower oil, salt, garlic, spices, olive oil, citric acid, and yes sugar are all part of what makes the sauce.

Do Italians put sugar in pizza sauce? ›

Italian pizza sauce is not:

made with sugar. made with garlic salt. full of seasoning.

What is pizza sauce supposed to taste like? ›

I look for uncooked, blended tomatoes, a balanced but discernible taste of dried oregano and basil, a bit of salt, and some acidity, but if there's too much, it should be cut by a little sugar.

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