When we think of pizza, we almost always think of tomatoes, and for good reason – they’re often used to make a classic pizza sauce that’s ladled over dough. The beauty of a sauce is that the tomatoes often come from a can (such as San Marzano), which means you can have it any time of the year. But sometimes, fresh and seasonal varieties make all the difference. 

Case in point: Each summer, chef, award-winning food writer and teacher Gill Meller grows several varieties of tomatoes in his greenhouse at his home in the Southwest of England. And as an outdoor enthusiast and author of “Outside: Cooking Outdoors - Recipes for the Wild” it makes sense that those tomatoes would make their way onto a pizza. 

In this slow-roasted tomato and garlic pizza, instead of making a sauce, Gill opts to gently roast tomatoes in the low heat of an Ooni to maximize their sweetness and flavour. They’re then scattered over the pizza’s base, giving diners the best of both worlds – a rich, deep tomato flavour and a wonderful combination of textures. 

When it comes to the garlic, Gill suggests placing the whole bulbs in the oven – this roasting method softens the sugary flesh of the bulbs as well as mellows out its pungent taste. When it’s done, the garlic pulp can easily be squeezed from the papery skins and used in all sorts of recipes. 

The roasted tomatoes and garlic pair nicely with mozzarella, aged white cheddar and fresh thyme, and for an extra dash of flavour, Gill adds marjoram. Related to oregano, marjoram has floral notes and is more delicate and slightly sweeter (though the former can work in a pinch!).

While this might seem like a whole lot of work for a simple pizza, don’t worry: It’s no more time-consuming than making a traditional tomato sauce. Simple, fresh, rustic and tasty, you’ll never look at tomatoes (or garlic) in the same way.