Cuban Pizza

alcomene's Note:

This is the most delicious homemade pizza I've eaten. It's a borrowed recipe I tweaked to make lower sodium. It is versatile. It makes a lot of sauce, so you can either make the whole lot or you can make a couple of pizzas and freeze the remaining sauce and use when you are short on time. You can use whatever cheeses and toppings you want in whatever amounts you want. It's really a recipe that is "add to taste." It can be spicy or not. It might take a little work to make the sauce, but it's well worth it!!!

• Total Time: 1 hrs 45 mins
• Prep Time: 1 hrs 30 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 80-100

Yield: 8.0 pizzas

Sauce

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons diced garlic
• 1 medium onion (I used white)
• 6 ounces tomato paste (I used Contadina roasted garlic flavor)
• 22 ounces no-salt-added tomato sauce
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• ¼ teaspoon salt (you can lessen or omit for low sodium)
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 1 ¼ tablespoons brown sugar (can use substitute)

Toppings

• 10 ounces Cotija cheese
• 5 lbs other cheese (I used part-skim mozzarella, cheddar, and a pizza or fiesta mix)
• 4 -6 prepared pizza crust (any kind you prefer)

Roux

• unsalted butter (or margarine)
• 2 tablespoons masa corn flour (can use all-purpose if can't find masa)
• 12 ounces mild enchilada sauce
• 12 ounces low sodium beef broth

Directions:

1. Saute onion in olive oil for about 4 minutes on med-high heat, you can add more oil to coat onions well.
2. Add garlic and cook for additional 3 minutes.
3. Add tomato paste, tomato sauce, bay leaf, seasonings, and brown sugar.
4. Simmer uncovered on med-low for 30 minutes or until thick. Watch out for splattering and stir frequently.
5. (Here, you can chose to refrigerate the sauce overnight or use it immediately).
6. (Optional).
7. To make this pizza with a more authentic Latin taste, you can make a roux:.
8. Saute flour in 2 T of butter until lightly golden.
9. Add can of enchilada sauce.
10. You may chose to add cumin, garlic, brown sugar, and beef broth to taste.
11. Simmer this at med-low until thickened.
12. Mix into pizza sauce a little at a time to taste (the more you add, the spicier it will be).
13. Spray olive oil spray on tops of pizza crusts.
14. Add about 1/2 cup sauce to pizza (be careful to not add too much).
15. Crumble some cojita cheese and add about 1/2 cup of other cheeses.
16. Add any other toppings such as peperoni or Canadian bacon.
17. Top with more cheese and bake as directed for whatever type of crust you have.
18. Enjoy!

Reviews

[Darkhunter]

A little different, but good. I used the roux option and didn't find it spicy, at all. I did love using the Cotija on it. Gave it a nice richness. Thnx for sharing your recipe, alcomene. Made for PAC Fall 2009.