Chicago Pizzeria Style Oregano Tomato Sauce

A Food Memory Of My Old Neighborhood

This Chicago Pizzeria Style Sweet Oregano Tomato Sauce starts with olive oil, onion, garlic, and tomato paste. It is then simmered with crushed tomatoes, oregano, and a touch of brown sugar for that nostalgic neighborhood red-sauce flavor. It’s perfect tossed with spaghetti or baked into mostaccioli. This can also be spooned over meatballs, or used anywhere you want that classic pizzeria pasta sauce taste.

I grew up on the Southwest Side of Chicago near Midway Airport. At the time, my neighborhood was very Polish and Italian. My cousin Kim and I used to go at least once a week to a little spot on Archer Avenue called Constantino’s. It wasn’t fancy. It just small tables with red and white tablecloths and the feeling that someone’s grandma was back in the kitchen cooking.

One of the things we loved most was their baked mostaccioli. The pasta was layered with a red sauce that had a little sweetness and a strong oregano flavor. They then topped with a melted sheet of mozzarella. We would eat it with a simple iceberg salad with zesty Italian dressing, some bread and butter for the table. Plus a shaker of parmesan cheese. It was simple, cozy, and to this day it’s one of those meals I still think about.

Chicago is famous for deep dish pizza, but anyone who actually lives in a Chicago neighborhood knows that the pizza most families order every week is thin crust. This pizza is cut into triangles and little squares. Every one of those neighborhood pizzerias always had pasta on the menu too. Usually baked mostaccioli or spaghetti with a house red sauce. I’ve been thinking about that sauce from Constantino’s for years. I finally got in the kitchen and tried to recreate it from memory. This recipe hits all the notes I remember. It is a little sweet, lots of oregano, and exactly the kind of sauce you’d expect to find at a classic Chicago corner pizza place.

A Little History of Chicago Tavern Style Pizza

Long before Chicago became famous for deep dish, the pizza most people in Chicago neighborhoods were eating was what some now call Tavern Style Pizza. I do not call it this….

This style started showing up in the 1930s and 1940s in small neighborhood taverns and corner bars where pizza was served as a snack to keep customers drinking. The crust was rolled very thin and crispy so it could cook quickly in the bar ovens. The pizzas were usually topped simply with sausage, cheese, and a bright oregano-forward tomato sauce. Over time these tavern pizzas became a staple not just in bars, but also in the little neighborhood pizzerias that many Chicago families still order from every week.

The reason tavern style pizza is cut this way comes from its bar roots. Cutting the pizza into small squares made it easier to pass around the table or bar. Everyone could grab a piece without needing a plate. The smaller pieces also meant you could eat a few bites while socializing or having a drink without committing to a big slice.

Today it’s still one of those things that instantly tells you a pizza is from a true Chicago neighborhood spot, where the pie arrives thin, crispy, and cut into a grid of squares and little triangle corner pieces.

My Favorite Pizza Places In Chicago Neighborhoods

I know I’m going to get the question about what my favorite pizza places in Chicago are. Especially since I grew up here. People always like to list these random spots that don’t really serve the kind of neighborhood Chicago pizza most of us grew up eating. On the Southwest Side, my go to has always been Obbie’s. It’s the pizza I order every time I go back “home.” And I say home in quotes because I live on the North Side now, but the South Side will always feel like home to me.

When we lived in Rogers Park for about twenty years, our favorite neighborhood pizza was JB Alberto’s. It’s fantastic and exactly the kind of thin crust Chicago pizza I love. Now that we’ve moved to the Edison Park area, a lot of people recommended Villa Napoli, which is very good, but I think my new favorite might be Dino’s on Higgins. It’s one of those places that just gets that classic Chicago neighborhood pizza exactly right.

Budget Friendly And Will Feed A Lot

One of the things I really love about this recipe is how budget friendly it is. The whole pot of sauce probably costs under $10 to make. This easily feeds four to six people. It’s also a great sauce to make ahead because it freezes beautifully. I usually double the batch, keep some in the fridge for meals during the week, and freeze the rest for busy nights. You can thaw it for a quick pasta dinner, or even spread it on some French bread with a little mozzarella to make an easy Friday night French bread pizza.

Meat Free For Me

Another thing I love about this recipe is that it’s completely meatless. This makes it a great option if you’re observing Lent. Or maybe just looking to add more meatless meals into your week. Even without meat, the sauce is full of flavor. This is thanks to the oregano, tomato paste, and slow simmering tomatoes. It still feels hearty and satisfying.

Toss it with pasta, bake it into mostaccioli with mozzarella. You can also serve it with a simple salad and some bread for a cozy, comforting meal.

A Time Saver

Another great thing about this recipe is how quickly it comes together. This makes it perfect for a busy weeknight. If you’re getting home from work around six o’clock and want dinner on the table by seven. This sauce easily fits the bill. It simmers just long enough to develop great flavor while your pasta cooks. You will get a comforting homemade meal without spending all evening in the kitchen.

The Sauce

I also get asked a lot about what tomatoes I like to use for a sauce like this. The old school Chicago kid in me still reaches for Hunt’s canned tomatoes. That’s what my Aunt used growing up. I also really like using Contadina tomato paste for this recipe, especially the one that already has herbs in it, which adds a little extra flavor. That said, this sauce will work with whatever canned tomato brand you prefer, so feel free to use your favorite.

Mind The Mince

One tip for this recipe is to make sure the onion and carrot are very finely minced. If you don’t have strong knife skills or a really sharp knife, you can easily pulse them in a food processor, give them a quick spin in a blender, or even grate them on a box grater. The goal is for the onion and carrot to almost disappear into the sauce as they cook so you don’t end up with noticeable chunks. This helps them melt right into the sauce and adds sweetness and flavor without changing the texture.

Make It Your Own

I personally like to add a little extra sugar and oregano beyond what the recipe calls for. That’s the beauty of a simple sauce like this. You can easily adjust the flavors to suit your own taste, whether you prefer it a little sweeter or with a stronger oregano flavor. Recipes like this are meant to be flexible, so don’t be afraid to tweak it until it tastes just right to you.

Other Ways To Eat This

This sauce is my favorite served over mostaccioli or penne pasta. It would be just as good with ravioli or spaghetti. If you want to make it a little heartier, you can add some frozen meatballs. You may want to. make a batch of my Best Ever Meatballs ahead of time and keep them in the freezer so you can quickly turn this into a full meal or even make some easy meatball subs.

Personally, I like to keep it simple. A bowl of penne tossed with this sauce, a generous sprinkle of parmesan cheese, and a slice of white bread with butter on the side is just about the perfect meal to me.