When it comes to making homemade pizza, the pizza sauce is the star of the show. This easy, no-cook pizza sauce recipe combines crushed tomatoes, olive oil, and a blend of Italian herbs for a flavorful base that pairs perfectly with your favorite pizza toppings. Whether you use store-bought or homemade pizza dough, this sauce will take your pizza to the next level!
The best part? You most likely already have these basic ingredients. With a can of crushed tomatoes, some fresh garlic, olive oil, and a few dried herbs, you can create a pizza sauce that’s far superior to anything you’ll find in a jar. Plus, it’s customizable–you can adjust the seasoning to suit your taste, adding more garlic, a pinch of red pepper flakes, or a touch of sugar to balance the acidity. For more easy tomato sauce recipes, try my marinara sauce, vodka sauce, or Instant Pot spaghetti sauce.
Ingredients for Homemade Pizza Sauce
Crushed Tomatoes — choose high-quality canned tomatoes like San Marzano tomatoes for the best taste. This tomato variety is slightly sweet and less acidic with a robust tomato flavor.
Tomato Paste — a little tomato paste helps to deepen the tomato flavor and thicken the sauce so it’s easily spreadable and not too watery on your pizza dough.
Olive Oil — good-quality extra virgin olive oil adds richness and helps blend the flavors for a cohesive sauce.
Garlic — fresh garlic cloves are a must for superb pizza sauce flavor. Peel a clove and grate it using a microplane for a finer texture that blends seamlessly into the sauce. In a pinch, you can substitute a clove with ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder.
Dried Herbs — dried oregano and dried basil both add earthy flavor to the sauce. Minced fresh herbs can be substituted; just use double the amount for both.
Ground Black Pepper — freshly ground black pepper is best for optimal flavor.
Salt — enhances the overall flavors of the tomatoes and herbs. Without salt, tomatoes can taste bland or watery, so don’t reduce this ingredient.
Sugar — while optional, a small amount of granulated sugar can help balance the acidity of the tomatoes. It’s a great trick to elevate a more mediocre can of tomatoes into a flavorful one!
How To Make Pizza Sauce
1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste.
2. Add the olive oil, garlic, salt, oregano, basil, and pepper.
3. Stir the ingredients well with a wooden spoon until fully combined.
4. Taste the sauce. If it tastes slightly bitter, add sugar to taste (no more than ½ teaspoon). Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Then, spread it on your pizza!
How to Use Homemade Pizza Sauce
Spread the sauce evenly over a fresh store-bought crust or homemade pizza dough before adding your favorite toppings. This versatile sauce is perfect for classic pizzas like pepperoni, veggie, or Margherita pizza. It also works well as a dipping sauce for breadsticks or calzones.
Why Use Canned Tomatoes Instead of Fresh Ones?
Canned tomatoes provide consistent flavor and texture, making them ideal for sauces. Unlike fresh tomatoes, canned tomatoes are cooked, offering a rich and more concentrated flavor. Plus, they save time, as there’s no need to blanch, peel, or seed the tomatoes before use. Canned tomatoes also preserve tomatoes picked at peak ripeness, so they are a great way to have delicious tomatoes any time of the year.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- Use a microplane: Grating the garlic with a microplane over a bowl ensures it’s evenly distributed throughout the sauce and avoids any large chunks. Tap the microplane onto the side of the bowl to remove any garlic stuck in the underside of the blade.
- Whole tomatoes option: For this recipe, you can use whole canned tomatoes instead of crushed canned tomatoes. Pulse them in a food processor or with an immersion blender, or crush them by hand before mixing them with the other ingredients.
- Customize seasonings: Add additional seasonings like ¼ teaspoon of fennel seed for an extra layer of slightly sweet, licorice-like flavor or red chili pepper flakes to taste for a kick of heat.
- Adjust the thickness: If your sauce is too thick, thin it with water or olive oil until you reach the desired consistency. Mix in an additional tablespoon of tomato paste if it’s too thin.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe yields about 2 cups of sauce, which is enough for 3 to 4 medium-sized pizzas, depending on how much sauce you like to use. You can easily double the recipe for more servings!
This sauce will last up to one week when stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Yes, this easy pizza sauce recipe can be frozen. Store it in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before using it. After thawing, the sauce may be more watery. Stir in additional tomato paste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
If you love this recipe try these out!
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Pizza Sauce Recipe
Equipment
- Whisk
- Microplane
Ingredients
- 1 (15-ounce/425g) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 clove garlic grated
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon sugar (optional)
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, olive oil, garlic, salt, oregano, basil, and pepper. Stir well with a wooden spoon to combine.
- Taste the sauce. If it tastes slightly bitter, add the sugar to taste (adding no more than ½ teaspoon). Season with more salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
- Use a microplane: Grating the garlic with a microplane over a bowl ensures it’s evenly distributed throughout the sauce and avoids any large chunks. Tap the microplane onto the side of the bowl to remove any garlic stuck in the underside of the blade.
- Whole tomatoes option: For this recipe, you can use whole canned tomatoes instead of crushed canned tomatoes. Pulse them in a food processor or with an immersion blender, or crush them by hand before mixing them with the other ingredients.
- Customize seasonings: Add additional seasonings like ¼ teaspoon of fennel seed for an extra layer of slightly sweet, licorice-like flavor or red chili pepper flakes to taste for a kick of heat.
- Adjust the thickness: If your sauce is too thick, thin it with water or olive oil until you reach the desired consistency. Mix in an additional tablespoon of tomato paste if it’s too thin.
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