If you’re going to make your own pizza from scratch, you may need to make a passata (a thick tomato sauce). This passata takes about an hour to make and essentially involves simmering tomatoes and fresh herbs over a low heat until they are transformed into a thick and flavourful paste for spreading on the pizza dough. The way I make my passata is very relaxed, and it tends to vary depending on what I have in the cupboard and what herbs are available in the garden. You can use fresh tomatoes for natural sweetness, but to make this recipe all year round I usually use canned tomatoes, preferably not already chopped to give better flavour.
There was much debate between the crew of hungry recipe tasters and me over whether you should add garlic to the passata, and the general consensus was to leave it out to keep the sauce as a subtle flavour, letting the pizza toppings take centre stage. This is entirely subjective however, so do add it to the recipe if it will complement your toppings.