Pizza Seasoning

Pizza is a household favorite- we are ready to have it any day! Sometimes, I have the energy and time to make it from scratch (and then I put a pinch of this seasoning in the dough too!) However, more often than not, we order in pizza. The seasoning below is a fun way to add some flavor. It's inspired by the Frozen Pizza Seasoning from Penzeys Spices. Although we call it Pizza Seasoning, it's also great on pasta or in sauces. The recipe below is the flavor balance I like, but feel free to alter it to suit your tastes. It makes about 3/4 cup of Pizza Seasoning, and scales both up and down easily.

Ingredients

4 tbsp dried basil

4 tbsp dried oregano

1 tbsp granulated garlic

1 tbsp onion flakes (or 1 tsp onion powder)

1 tsp black peppercorns

2 tsp fennel seeds

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 tsp turbinado or raw cane sugar

1 tsp kosher sea salt

Directions

1. Put the basil, oregano, garlic, and onion in a small bowl (at least 1 cup capacity).

2. Using a mortar and pestle, crush the black peppercorns so that they split open. Add the fennel seeds, crushed red pepper flakes, sugar, and salt. Grind these spices in the mortar and pestle until the black pepper and fennel seeds are coarsely ground. The goal is just to break the whole spices up, not to make a fine powder.

3. Add the spices from the mortar and pestle to the bowl in Step 1. Stir to mix well.

4. Transfer to an airtight container (I usually use a 1/2 cup glass jar). Store at room temperature. Enjoy by sprinkling it on top of pizza!