Make Pizza Sauce from Scratch with This Easy Recipe! (2024)

Making pizza sauce from scratch is just as easy as making homemade pizza dough! This recipe for pizza sauce is quick, inexpensive, and packed with flavor!

Make Pizza Sauce from Scratch with This Easy Recipe! (1)

If you’re here because you’re making homemade pizzas and are looking for the best homemade pizza sauce recipe, you’ve come to the right place!!

This recipe for pizza sauce is made with only a few basic ingredients and is ready in ten minutes!

Ingredients for Homemade Pizza Sauce

  • Fire Roasted Tomatoes – crushed tomatoes will also work
  • Garlic
  • Dried Oregano (optional)
  • Basil (optional) – make sure it’s fresh!
  • Olive Oil (optional)
  • Salt
  • Pinch of Sugar

Planning pizza night? Grab my homemade pizza dough recipe!

Make Pizza Sauce from Scratch with This Easy Recipe! (2)
Make Pizza Sauce from Scratch with This Easy Recipe! (3)

Immersion Blender

This kitchen tool is so handy, and compact! Use it to make soups, sauces, and much more!

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FAQs for Making Pizza Sauce from Scratch

Immersion Blender vs Blender for sauce:

Wondering if you can use a blender instead of an immersion blender for this recipe? Yes! You could also use a food processor, you just might need to divide the can of tomato sauce in half because the entire can may not fit inside the food processor.

If you do not have an immersion blender, don’t worry – just blend all of the ingredients, then place them in a small sauce pot and simmer.

What if I don’t have fire roasted tomatoes?

I like to use fire roasted tomatoes for the added flavor. If you don’t have fire roasted tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, or tomato sauce will absolutely work here!
You can also use fresh tomatoes, you will just need to strain out the liquid from the tomatoes by halving them first and removing the watery bits. You will also need to simmer the sauce a bit longer to thicken it up up.

Why add sugar to homemade pizza sauce?

Sugar might seem like an odd ingredient to add, but the pinch of sugar in pizza sauce doesn’t add sweetness! Instead the sugar balances the acidity of the tomatoes and helps the sauce develop a caramelized flavor when you simmer it! The sugar really helps bring out the flavors of the tomatoes, and adds a great element to the sauce! You can certainly skip it if you wish to make this paleo or keto.

Can I preserve pizza sauce?

You can absolutely preserve this pizza sauce. Follow the proper sanitization process of your jars and use a pressure canner to process. If you’d like to do this, you’ll probably want to triple this recipe so you have enough. This recipe makes about two pints worth of sauce.

How to thicken pizza sauce?

If you’re finding your pizza sauce to be too watery, you need to reduce it more. To reduce a sauce, turn up the heat! Get the sauce boiling, stirring constantly to prevent burning, until the sauce reaches the desired thickness.

Want pizza sauce without oregano or basil?

The beauty of making pizza sauce from scratch is that you’re in charge of the flavors! If you detest oregano or have an aversion to basil, you can skip these ingredients! Or maybe you really love garlic, you can add an extra clove or two! Get creative with this recipe and have fun!

I much prefer reducing the sauce myself rather than going the tomato paste + tomato sauce route. I think the flavor develops so much more nicely by spending that 10 minutes on the stove, in my option, it is worth the reduction time and effort!

However, if you do not have fire roasted tomatoes – you can substitute them with tomato sauce. Follow the reduction process the same way.

How Much Sauce Will This Make?

This will make enough sauce for about four pizzas with a little left over for dipping. This works out perfectly for the four pizzas my homemade pizza dough recipe makes. If you don’t need that much sauce, cut the recipe in half.

How to Make A No Cook Pizza Sauce

If you really don’t want to reduce the sauce, you can make a no-cook homemade pizza sauce by adding some tomato paste which will thicken the sauce.

Use one 6 oz. can of tomato paste with 1 15 oz. can of tomato sauce. Combine the tomatoes, herbs, oil, salt, and sugar in a blender and puree until smooth. In my opinion, the no-cook method is not as flavorful! So much of the flavor develops during the reduction period!

The Recipe

Make Pizza Sauce from Scratch with This Easy Recipe! (4)

Homemade Pizza Sauce

Enjoy delicious homemade pizzas with this rustic homemade pizza sauce! Just a few simple ingredients makes this wonderful and fresh pizza sauce!

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Ingredients

  • Fire Roasted Tomatoes 1 28oz. can
  • 4 Cloves Garlic
  • 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Basil – fresh or dried to taste – 2-3 teaspoons
  • Dried Oregano to taste – 2-3 teaspoons
  • Salt to taste
  • Pinch of Sugar

Instructions

Combine tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, dried oregano, basil, sugar, and salt in a blender and puree until smooth. Alternatively, combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan and use an immersion blender to puree.

    Place puree in a small sauce pan, and turn heat to medium-high. Bring to a rolling simmer and allow the mixture to thicken, stirring constantly to prevent burning. About 10 minutes.

      Taste for any flavor tweaking: add more salt, oregano, or basil until the taste is just right.

        Remove from heat, transfer to a clean mason jar and store until ready to use.

          Notes

          Keeps in the refrigerator for about a month. If desired, use a pressure canner to preserve the homemade pizza sauce to be used at a later date!

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          Hello! I'm Chloe.

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          Categories: Dinner, Preserves and Sauces, Recipes

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          Comments

          1. Thank you chloe, i will try your recipe.it looks awesome and i am sure the taste will be equally great

            Reply

          Make Pizza Sauce from Scratch with This Easy Recipe! (2024)

          FAQs

          What can I use if I don't have pizza sauce? ›

          5 Pizza Sauce Alternatives
          • Other tomato-based sauces. Traditional pizza sauce is made using canned tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, onion, and herbs like basil and oregano but there are so many other tomato sauce options that offer different flavour profiles. ...
          • Pesto. ...
          • Alfredo. ...
          • Tapenade. ...
          • Extra-Virgin Olive Oil.

          What is pizza sauce made of? ›

          Pizza sauce is typically made with plain tomato sauce or pureed tomatoes and tomato paste, causing it to be a thicker consistency than pasta sauce. The thicker sauce prevents the dough from getting too soggy while the pizza cooks.

          What are the best tomatoes for pizza sauce? ›

          SUMMARY – San Marzano are the tomatoes by excellence for classic red sauce pizza. Some other varieties include the Pomodorino del Piennolo- yellow or red. If San Marzano is impossible to find where you live, oblong peeled tomatoes are the best next choice.

          Should I drain canned tomatoes for pizza sauce? ›

          If you'd like a thicker sauce, strain the tomatoes from their juices before blending. This isn't just for convenience — a no-cook sauce will actually taste better on your pizza, giving you that fresh, zippy tomato flavor, even after it has been baked in a hot oven.

          Can you use regular tomato sauce as pizza sauce? ›

          Directions. Mix tomato sauce, garlic, oregano, and basil in a bowl until well combined. Spread mixture over pizza crusts as desired.

          Can we use tomato ketchup instead of pizza sauce? ›

          You can, but you'd need to do some stuff to it first… I'd recommend that you finely mince garlic, oregano (or just use Italian spices), and lightly fry them in (as little as possible) olive oil, then when fragrant (but not burnt), add your ketchup.

          What gives pizza sauce its distinctive flavor? ›

          Traditional pizza sauce is made with a base of tomatoes and spices like garlic, onion, basil, and oregano. You might think that this makes a pizza simple or boring, but this isn't the case. There are so many varieties and recipes for it that you'll never get bored of this meal!

          Is pizza sauce just spaghetti sauce? ›

          While both are classic Italian tomato sauces, they are typically made with various ingredients. Pizza sauce is generally made with fewer ingredients than pasta sauce; the fresher, the better. It uses uncooked crushed or pureed tomatoes, seasonings, and possibly some tomato paste for thickening.

          Can you use spaghetti sauce for pizza? ›

          Can you use pasta sauce for pizza? You are not alone when you ask "can i use pasta sauce for pizza?" Using pasta sauce as a pizza sauce is an increasingly popular trend among homemade pizza lovers. It is a great way to add some variety to your pizza and make it more flavorful.

          How do you put tomatoes on pizza without making it soggy? ›

          Scoop out the seeds and guts and then dice your tomatoes instead of slicing. This should get rid of some of the moisture. Add cheese and then place tomatoes on top.

          What is the best flour for pizza? ›

          Because of the fineness of the grains, 00 flour is the ideal flour for pizza. 00 flour is a finely ground Italian milled flour ideal for pizza due to its delicate and fluffy crust.

          Does real Italian pizza have tomato sauce? ›

          Authentic Italian pizzas are based with nonna's special fresh tomato sauce (which doesn't get cooked at all!). This rich sauce must be prepared with peeled Italian tomatoes, preferably with San Marzano peeled tomatoes, and then blanched with salt, fresh basil and extra virgin olive oil to get an original taste.

          What happens if you don t add lemon juice to canned tomato sauce? ›

          If the tomatoes have not been acidified prior to canning you are risking the possibility of bacterial growth, which can be fatal. If you just canned them, and they haven't been stored, you might be able to open the jars and start over, or maybe freeze them.

          What are the best canned Italian tomatoes for pizza sauce? ›

          San Marzano and Roma are the classic sauce tomatoes. San Marzanos are expensive and hard to find, but the Romas are easier to find. Even many domestic canned tomatoes are Romas. Of the major canned domestic tomato brands, I like Muir Glen and Hunt's the best.

          Is it better to cook or uncooked tomato sauce for pizza? ›

          Both cooked and raw tomatoes can be used on pizza, and it ultimately depends on personal preference and the type of pizza being made. Here are some factors to consider: Cooked Tomatoes: Cooking the tomatoes can help concentrate their flavor and create a more uniform texture on the pizza.

          How do I substitute tomato sauce for pizza sauce? ›

          Yes you can…even as it is, straight out of the can, although it might lack a bit of flavor for just a tomato sauce pizza. You can use it cold or cook it down a bit to make it thicker. Of course you can add some condiments (onion, garlic), salt and pepper and hebs and spices.

          Is pizza sauce necessary? ›

          Pizza means flatbread. This means that a pizza can really be called pizza if it has no cheese. That's the case of pizza alla marinara, with crushed tomatoes, garlic, oregano, and a drizzle of extravirgin olive oil. A real pizza can be without any tomato sauce, like this pizza ortolana, with a fresh vegetables medley.

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