Ingredients
1 (28-oz.) can whole peeled tomatoes
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp. tomato paste
1 tsp. (or more) kosher salt
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. granulated sugar (optional)
1 (10-oz) loaf frozen garlic bread, halved lengthwise if needed
1 c. shredded mozzarella
14 pepperoni slices
2 tbsp. grated Parmesan
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Preparation
Step 1In a blender or food processor, purée tomatoes until mostly smooth.Step 2In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until darkened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add puréed tomatoes and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until sauce is thickened and reduced by about one-third, 20 to 25 minutes. Taste and season with salt and granulated sugar for sweetness, if needed. Let cool to room temperature.Step 3Make Ahead: Pizza sauce can be made 5 days ahead. Let cool completely, then store in an airtight container and refrigerate, or freeze up to 1 month.
Step 1Preheat oven to 425°. On a large baking sheet, arrange bread halves garlic side up.Step 2Bake bread until warmed through and crisp on the sides and bottom, 9 to 11 minutes.Step 3Spread each garlic bread half with 1/4 cup pizza sauce. Top with mozzarella, then pepperoni and Parmesan.Step 4Heat broiler. Broil bread until cheese is bubbling and browned, 3 to 5 minutes.Step 5Top with red pepper flakes, if using. Slice and serve.
Baking the garlic bread before adding the pizza toppings ensures a crispy base and maximum garlicky flavor from the bread’s signature topping, while broiling the topped pizza mimics the high heat of a professional pizza oven, producing crispy pepperoni and bubbling caramelized cheese. Read on for more tips and information on this fun pizza hack. Hungry for more garlic butter? Check out our garlic knots. Why are we making our own pizza sauce? Quite honestly, most store-bought pizza sauce isn’t great, and when a dish is primarily composed of three things (garlic bread, sauce, and cheese), it’s worth a little extra effort to be sure all three components are as delicious as possible. This pizza sauce recipe takes 30 minutes, and while it makes more sauce that you’ll need for this recipe, you can store the extra in the refrigerator for up to a week (’til the next pizza night!) or freeze it for future use. Can I use unfrozen prepackaged garlic bread for this? What if my loaf is a different size? We tested this recipe with a 10-ounce loaf of frozen garlic bread, but you can absolutely use a fresh deli-made garlic bread loaf. You’ll probably want to adjust the initial cooking time on the garlic bread—it should be crispy on the bottom and sides but not tough before you top it. And if your loaf is a full pound, you’ll need closer to 3/4 cup pizza sauce and 1 2/3 cups mozzarella to give your pizzas that perfect even topping. Made this? Let us know how it went in the comments below.
