Today’s savory Saturday post is a delicious Tomato-basil base for pizzas, whether grilled or oven-baked! This recipe comes from Pizza on the Grill by Elizabeth Karmel and Bob Blumer. The cookbook was one of our awesome wedding gifts from the Williams-Sonoma wedding registry. We made this sauce while at the beach this summer and found it to be such a flavorful base!

Tomato-basil base
Makes 4 cups

• 2 pints cherry tomatoes, quartered, or 2 pounds vine-ripened or heirloom tomatoes, diced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 5 large fresh basil leaves, chopped just before using

Mix together all the ingredients, except the basil, in a medium nonreactive metal or glass bowl. If serving within 1 or 2 hours, let stand at room temperature so the tomatoes release their juices, or refrigerate, covered, up to 24 hours.

Mix and drain the excess juice from the tomatoes. If refrigerated, bring to room temperature. Just before using, stir in the basil.
The sauce on a pizza we made while at the beach (undercooked, but it was our first try and much improved the second time around).
One way to make the sauce more flavorful is to fire roast the tomatoes on the grill beforehand, if you have the time. If you are short on time, you can always use canned tomatoes! Any leftover sauce can be placed in the fridge or freezer, or used as a meatball sub topping or weeknight pasta sauce.

Are you a big fan of tomato sauce?