Homemade Pizza Sauce
Introducing my go-to homemade pizza sauce recipe! With its rich tomato flavor, this simple no-cook recipe only requires 5 ingredients. Perfect for making delicious pizza at home!
If you’ve been around for a while, you probably know that making pizza is kinda my thing. I’ve been on a pizza journey for over a decade— first learning how to make amazing pizza in my oven, then moving to a portable outdoor pizza oven, to finally achieving my dream of having a wood-fired brick oven when we moved to a new house last year.
We have pizza nights every week, and it’s one of my favorite things. After perfecting the best homemade pizza dough, I’ve come up with the easiest (and tastiest!) pizza sauce to match. Just mix crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, olive oil, and salt for a rich, flavorful base perfect for all your favorite pizza toppings!
Table of Contents
- A simple no-cook sauce
- Pizza sauce ingredients
- How to make this easy homemade pizza sauce
- Makes a big batch, store some for later!
- More pizza resources & recipes
A simple no-cook sauce
Also know as a Neapolitan-style sauce, this no-cook pizza sauce stands out from others because it’s seasoned very simply, with uncooked tomatoes for a more fresh and bright tomato flavor. Best of all, there’s no simmering or cooking required! The sauce goes straight onto the dough, and the high heat of the oven cooks it right on the pizza.
Pizza sauce ingredients
- San Marzano tomatoes, either whole or crushed. They should be plain/unseasoned.
- Tomato paste, used to make the pizza sauce thick and flavorful.
- Olive oil, helps improve flavor and texture
- Italian seasoning, which is typically a blend of basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, and sage.
- Garlic powder, for additional flavor.
- Salt
- Sugar or honey (optional), the sweetness cuts through naturally acidic flavor of canned tomatoes.
Make it your own! Feel free to adjust the ingredient amounts in this recipe to match what you like, it’s very flexible. You can also add other flavorings like crushed fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, and even fresh basil.
Why San Marzano tomatoes?
San Marzano tomatoes have fewer seeds and a thicker flesh than most other canned tomato varieties, which makes for a thick, flavorful sauce without excess wateriness. You should be able to find them in most grocery stores. Bianco DiNapoli, Cento, and DeLallo are all great brands to choose from. (“San Marzano style” or “Italian tomatoes” will also work, just be sure you’re not getting Italian seasoned tomatoes.)
Yes, you can! San Marzanos are generally recommended because of their superior flavor and texture, but if you can’t find them don’t worry. Try to then prioritize whole peeled tomatoes instead of crushed tomatoes.
Canned whole tomatoes have the least amount of processing and will have the best tomato flavor, but you’ll need to crush or blend them yourself. If you’re looking for an easier option, canned crushed tomatoes is the way to go.
How to make this easy homemade pizza sauce
- Crush whole tomatoes (if needed). You can do this by hand (squeezing them together with your hands in a large bowl), or an immersion blender or food processor.
- Mix all ingredients until combined. The easiest way to do this is in a large bowl with a whisk.
- Use it immediately for pizza. Spread it onto your formed pizza dough and top with cheese and other desired toppings.
- Store any extra for later. Whatever you have leftover should be stored properly in the fridge or freezer (see tips below!).
Makes a big batch, store some for later!
This easy pizza sauce recipe makes enough for 8-10 pizzas, which is probably way more than any of us need at one time. But pizza sauce freezes really well! And I like to make a big batch like this and store most of it for future pizza nights.
Here’s how to store homemade pizza sauce:
In the fridge: This pizza sauce will keep in a jar or other airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
In the freezer: My favorite way to store pizza sauce is to freeze in 1-cup individual portions in ziploc bags, as you can pull out just what you need. Lay them flat till frozen, then stack however you want in the freezer. When ready to use, let them thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temperature for a few hours.
More pizza resources & recipes
Homemade Pizza Sauce
Ingredients
- 28 oz canned crushed or whole peeled tomatoes , preferably San Marzano (see Notes)
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar or honey (optional, see Notes)
Instructions
- If using whole peeled tomatoes, crush them in a large bowl with your hands. Or you can use an immersion blender or food processor. Leave tomatoes as chunky as you like, or blend till smooth if you like a smooth sauce.
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl: tomatoes, tomato paste, olive oil, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and sugar/honey (if using). Taste and adjust seasonings as you like.
- Use immediately, spreading ⅓-½ cup on your shaped pizza dough. Top pizza as desired with cheese and other toppings and cook.
- Store leftover pizza sauce in a jar or other airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 week. You can also freeze in 1 cup portions in individual ziplock bags for easy use later. Simply defrost in the fridge overnight when ready to use.
Notes
- Makes about 3.5 cups of sauce, enough for 7-10 pizzas depending on size. (Nutritional information is for ½ cup, sauce for about 1 pizza.) To make a smaller batch, use a 15oz can of tomatoes and halve the remaining ingredients.
- San Marzano tomatoes are preferred because they have fewer seeds and thicker flesh, which makes for a thick, flavorful sauce without excess wateriness. Look for Bianco DiNapoli, Cento, and DeLallo brands at your grocery store. Other types of tomatoes will work too if you can’t find San Marzano.
- Sugar or honey will cut through the natural acidity of the canned tomatoes, but it is not required.
