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How to make a homemade pizza sauce recipe that’s sure to make pizzas taste so much better! This sauce is quick and easy to make, freezes well, and has zero mystery ingredients!
Say hello to a nice and thick homemade pizza sauce.
It’s warm, hearty, and is the perfect sauce to use on homemade pizzas.
Making homemade pizza sauce isn’t difficult and it doesn’t have to be time-consuming either.
My recipe makes a large batch that you could use on 3-4 pizza crusts depending on your sauce preference. Keep in mind though that it all depends on how long you simmer the sauce. The longer you simmer the tomato sauce, the more concentrated it’ll be.
It also uses mostly pantry staples so you can make it in no time!
Marzia, as a chef for 15 years, I have to tell you, this is the sauce I’m gonna use moving forward. Nicely done dear!
This Homemade pizza sauce recipe is…
- Vegan-friendly
- Gluten-free
- the best pizza sauce
- Ready in around 30 minutes
What you need to make this easy pizza sauce recipe:
- Canned whole tomatoes: I’ve made this recipe enough times now to have tested it with whole tomatoes, diced canned tomatoes, and pureed tomatoes. Though all three work, I still find the whole tomatoes to be the best choice for making pizza sauce at home. Start by crushing San Marzano tomatoes and making my own ‘crushed tomatoes.’
- Olive oil: a generous splash not only helps flavor the sauce but also helps cook and bloom all of our aromatics and spices.
- Grated onions: You can grate the onions on a grater box, roughly chop and throw it into a food processor, or you can finely mince the onions for a heartier sauce. I use the food processor for minimum tears!
- Pressed garlic: I use a garlic press to help with this step. It takes seconds and the garlic really works into the sauce that way.
- Dried seasonings: My seasonings of choice are dried oregano, dried basil, and red pepper flakes. Sometimes I’ll cut back on the dried oregano a bit, especially if I’m topping the pizza with tons of toppings. However, this is your call. You can also add a tiny pinch of dried marjoram if you’d like!
- Sugar and salt: The salt and sugar help flavor the sauce. I find canned tomatoes to be on the acidic side, so the sugar helps tame it a bit. You could omit the sugar completely if this isn’t something that bothers you.
How to make pizza sauce from scratch:
- Break down the tomatoes: Using your hands squish the tomatoes in a bowl, or use kitchen shears to break down the tomatoes into smaller pieces. You could also just use an immersion blender and just pulse it so the tomatoes are smaller.
- Cook the aromatics: In a saucepan over medium heat, add the grated onions, and the dried seasonings. Allow the oil to cook the onions for around 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently so nothing sticks or burns. Then, add the garlic and continue to cook for another 30 seconds.
- Simmer the sauce: Add the tomatoes along with the sugar and salt and allow the sauce to come to a simmer, then lower the heat and allow for it to cook for 30 minutes. You can taste the sauce and adjust with additional seasoning or salt as desired. You could also simmer the sauce for longer should you find it needs to be a little more concentrated for your taste.
FAQs about this recipe
Yes. You can keep the sauce in the refrigerator for about a week, and it lasts for 3 months in the freezer.
Yes. I like to use fresh Roma tomatoes for this recipe. You’ll need about 1½ – 1¾ pounds of tomatoes. To prep, the tomatoes, score an “x” on the bottom of each tomato using a sharp paring knife. Add the tomato to a pot of boiling water and allow them to boil for 1-2 minutes. Then peel the skin and crush.
Ways to use homemade pizza sauce:
- On freshly made lazy no knead pizza dough
- On my traditional homemade pizza dough
- As a sauce for my cheesy garlic pull-apart bread
- On my Detroit-style pizza (a family fave!)
- As a sauce for my pull-apart garlic roll wreath
Other homemade sauces to make and try:
- Homemade pesto
- All-purpose meat sauce
- Arrabbiata sauce
- 2-minute Caesar salad dressing
- Homemade Nutella
The Best Homemade Pizza Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 (28 ounce) can whole tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ cup grated onions or finely minced
- ½ – ¾ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ – ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes depending on heat preference
- 3 cloves garlic pressed
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- TOMATOES: Pour the tomatoes into a large bowl and using your hands, kitchen shears, or an immersion blender, break the tomatoes down so that they’re chunky but not completely liquid.
- AROMATICS: In a medium saucepan placed over medium heat, heat the olive oil, grated onions, oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes. Allow them to cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently so nothing sticks or burns. Add garlic and continue to cook for another 30 seconds to a minute.
- SIMMER: Add the prepared tomatoes along with the sugar and salt. Let the sauce reach a simmer, then lower the heat to medium-low and allow the sauce to simmer for 30 minutes. Taste and adjust with additional seasonings as desired. If you like a more concentrated tomato flavor you can continue to simmer the sauce for up to 15 more minutes. Ue the sauce for pizzas immediately or allow to come to room temperature before storing in containers.
Notes
- Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like This? Leave a comment & rating below!
Made this on the weekend. It was Amazing!!! Will never buy bought pizza sauce again. Thank-you!
Good base to start with. Made per recipe, but basil, oregano, salt and sugar were not enough. While I like hot peppers, I think I will leave them out next time.
I never thought about grating onion for a sauce, but it works well. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Simply AMAZING! Was just scrolling through the comments while it’s simmering on the stove and decided to leave one. I just discovered this recipe in the last year and haven’t used a different one since. Making a double batch this time to have some extra in the freezer. Thank you, for such a wonderful recipe!
I don’t have whole canned tomatoes, but I have a large can of crushed tomatoes. Are there any adjustments I need to make?
Soooooo good!!
This recipe is AMAZING! Love it so much. I always use San Marzano organic canned tomatoes. Homemade pizza is weekly staple in our house and this is my go to sauce. Delicious!
Excellent! It’s my favorite pizza sauce now. I made it with the fresh tomatoes from my garden. Also, I added a little fresh basil. Thank you!
I LOVE this sauce! I order cases of San Marzano organic tomatoes, and use those 28-oz cans. I make the sauce and then put it in small plastic containers which go into the freezer. Each container holds enough for one pizza, so I remove it from the freezer and thaw it on the day I am making pizza. If I forget, it takes only a few minutes to pop it into a pan on top of the stove to thaw it out.
This is the BEST sauce!!!
Can I substitute crushed tomatoes instead of using whole tomatoes?
Today, I’m making it for third time. We (my family) like it very much! It is the best! Thank you for sharing.
So much better than store bought! Thanks so much, this has made weekly pizza night that much better!
Hello. Thank you for sharing. I’m wondering how well this pizza sauce recipe would taste if pressure canned for later use? If i go to all this work to make a small amount it makes more sense to me to put two or three batches up at one time.
OH MY GOD!! This recipe just made my life a little more difficult. I will never use jarred sauce again!! This is amazing.
I made this sauce tonight for the first time and it is now my go-to pizza sauce recipe. The search has stopped.
Reviewed five different sauces, with each one I analyzed all the ingredients and chose this recipe for my pizza sauce, with the other four recipes as alternative choices.
After making four pizzas two different times, this recipe is hands down the only recipe we needed. It is absolutely the most delicious sauce we’ll ever need!
It’s so rich, yet has a sweet fruity and succulent taste. Delicious!
I wasn’t fan of pizza sauce until I tried this recipe. The difference between something you can buy and this homemade sauce is night and day. This sauce is so easy and so good!! Now I put extra sauce on homemade pizza because I love it so much. I made King Arthur’s cheesy pan pizza last night using this sauce and oh my gosh…. sooooooooo delicious!!
This sauce was SO easy and SO good! I made it twice, and the second time I didn’t bother with breaking up the tomatoes first. I just dumped them in the pot after sautéing the aromatics and then used my potato masher to crush them. I will seriously never go looking for another pizza sauce recipe or buy jarred sauce. Using San Marzano tomatoes makes a world of difference! Thanks for the great recipe!
Simple good pizza sauce, I substituted dried for fresh basil
Yes. I used Italian crushed tomatoes in puree. She said whole but I don’t like seeds everywhere. 2 cups was adequate and I simmer for an hour and add 1/4 cup chicken broth for more liquid if needed. Overall this is the best recipe I could find.
I absolutely love this pizza sauce! I make a double batch and freeze half. I use a hand blender to puree the tomatoes. San Marzano tomatoes are great. I have made it many times. Love it! My son and I have a tradition now making homemade pizza using this sauce. Thank you!!!