Pizza Strips – Delicious Nostalgia

Pizza strips are strips of pizza dough that have been topped with a rich, flavorful tomato sauce and nothing else. They are meant to be eaten at room temperature or chilled rather than hot, and make a great low fat/low calorie, super portable meal or snack anytime.
When most people think of pizza it is nearly impossible for them to imagine it without cheese and a pile of toppings, but have faith, these things are frigging wonderful, especially when they’re made with a homemade sauce that you have 100% control over.
I don’t know how wide spread these are in the US as I never did much food shopping outside of Rhode Island and Massachusetts, but they were one of my favorite things to pick up from the deli when I was a kid, and only recently did it occur to me that I could make them myself. They have been such a welcome alternative to ham sandwiches since my gallbladder issues started!
Below I’ve included the recipe for my homemade sauce and the method I use to combine it with a (lazy) store bought ready to roll pizza crust.
Ingredients (makes 8 servings)
1 ready to roll pizza crust (If you want to make this vegan in the UK anyway, ASDA own brand)
1 can (400g) of chopped tomatoes
1 tube (200g) of tomato paste
1 Large onion (or 2 small)
4 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp garlic granules
1 tsp onion powder
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
Olive oil
How To Make The Sauce
You can use jarred sauce, but I wouldn’t recommend it, because to make these come out correct you need a thick and rich sauce, so it’s ideal to make your own. If you’ve never attempted this before you are in for a treat, and it’s easier than you probably think! :)
- Chop onions and sweat them on a low heat with about 2tsp olive oil.
- When onions are translucent and tender add the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, basil, onion powder, garlic granules, sugar and salt.
- Stir and simmer on a low heat for about 5 minutes
- Remove from stove and blitz everything with a stick blender, in a liquidiser or in a food processor so that the sauce is of a smooth and even consistency.
How To Assemble And Cook Pizza Strips
- Line a large sheet pan with aluminium foil and grease it with a tiny bit of olive oil or a spray.
- Roll the pizza crust out over it in a big rectangle
- Put a tiny bit more olive oil on the top of the crust to stop the sauce sinking in too much
- Puncture the crust all over with a fork to help stop bubbles from forming
- Spoon 2/3 of the sauce onto the pizza crust and spread evenly right to the edges
- Bake in a preheated oven (180c or 350f) for 10-12 minutes
- Remove from oven and spread the remaining sauce evenly on top, covering any areas that may have dried out (none of the base should be showing)
- Allow to cool on the pan and once cooled cut evenly into 8 strips
These are lovely to eat on the day they are made, but taste even better on day 2!!!
Wrap individually in cling film to enjoy later, and consume within 3 days :)
We have these where I live in upstate New York! It’s called Tomato Pie and it is kind of a local specialty in Utica. I think it is an old recipe that some of the Italian immigrants brought over with them. My daughter loves them, though it has never been my thing. I like veggies on my pizza.