CREOLE PIZZA SAUCE

Ingredients

• 3 tb Olive oil
• 1/2 cOnion -- finely chop
• 1/2 cCelery -- finely chop
• 1/2 cGreen or red bell pepper --
• Finely chop
• 1/4 ts Thyme
• 1/4 ts Basil
• 1Bay leaf
• Salt and pepper -- to taste
• 1/2 ts Cayenne
• 14 oz Can whole tomatoes
• 3 oz Tomato paste
• Tabasco sauce -- to taste
• Grated rind and juice from
• 1/2Lemon
• 2 tb Parsley fresh -- chopped

Preparation

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan and saute the onions, celery,and red or green bell pepper over medium heat until soft.
Crumble inthe spices, stirring for another minute.
Add the tomatoes, tomatopaste, lemon juice and rind, cover and simmer on low for about 30minutes.
After 30 minutes, check the seasoning and add the hot sauce,to taste.
Stir in the fresh parsley.
Variations: This makes anextremely thick sauce.
I had to add about 1/2 cup water to the sauce.
Yields approximately 3 1/4 cups of sauce.
Great with shrimp used asthe topping for the pizza, esp.
if the shrimp is boiled in crab boil,and lightly sprinkled with Creole seasoning.
I add the shrimp thelast 3-4 minutes to the top of the pizza.
Source:Pizza Pizzaz, byRichard EriksonRecipe By : Rhonda Guilbeaux