Italian Food

Instructions:

Step 1 – Sautee the onion in olive oil on a medium heat until it begins to turn translucent.

Step 2 – Add the garlic and cook for a further 1 – 2 minutes.

Step 3 – Add the tomatoes, fresh basil, and salt and pepper to taste. Then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for about 15 – 20 minutes.

Step 4 – Your Neapolitan sauce should now be ready but taste it to ensure the seasoning is to your taste – if you find the sauce a tad bitter, adding a teaspoon of sugar will balance out the acidity.

Step 5 – Spread the sauce onto some pizza dough and top with mozzarella and other tasty toppings!

Homemade pizza

Healthier than shop-bought stuff and less expensive than a takeaway, there can be few dishes as rewarding as a home-made pizza! We’ll show you how to make the base from scratch – once that’s done, you can top it with anything you fancy. Here are some topping suggestions:

Anchovies
Salami/Pepperoni
Prosciutto
Chillies
Pineapple
Mushrooms
Olives

Note that this recipe (adapted from the BBC Good Food website) will make two pizzas. If you only want one, you can freeze the leftover dough and defrost it at a later date.

Ingredients:

550g (20oz) white flour
320ml water
1 sachet of yeast
2tbsp olive oil
1tsp salt
1tsp caster sugar
Tomato purée (for the topping)
Mozzarella cheese (for the topping)
Toppings of your choice (see above)

Instructions:

Step 1 - Use a sieve to sift your flour into a mixing bowl.

Step 2 - Mix the salt into the flour. You can also grind some pepper into the mix if you so desire.

Step 3 - Put your water, olive oil, yeast and sugar in a mixing jug and leave to stand for five minutes (this will allow the yeast to activate).

Step 4 - After five minutes have passed, slowly pour the contents of the jug into your mixing bowl. While you pour, stir the mixture with a spoon.

Step 5 - Once everything is mixed together, use your hands to knead the dough until it starts to gain some elasticity.

Step 6 - Place your kneaded dough back in the mixing bowl, cover the bowl with a damp towel, and leave to stand for an hour. This gives the yeast a chance to take effect – once the hour has passed, your dough will have grown much larger.

Step 7 - When you come back to the kitchen, preheat your oven to 200oC.

Step 8 - Knead the dough a little more and separate it into two halves. Remember, if you only want to make a single pizza, you can freeze the other half of the dough.

Step 9 - Use a rolling pin to roll your pizza dough out. Aim for a size that fits your pizza tray.

Step 10 - Place your pizza base on the tray and spread your tomato purée across the surface. Remember to leave a crust around the edge.

Step 11 - Add your mozzarella cheese and any other toppings you fancy.

Step 12 - Cook your pizza in the oven for 15-20 minutes (depending on how crispy you like it!)