This Pizza Sauce recipe is easy to make and is a delicious alternative to store-bought pizza sauce. Using fresh ingredients and some basic steps, you will be able to make an awesome homemade pizza sauce for your next pizza night. And if you are looking to make a dairy-free pizza, this recipe is perfect, as it is vegan!
Table of Contents
Why this Recipe Works
This pizza sauce recipe is made from simple, fresh ingredients. Using fresh ingredients improves the sauce’s taste and flavor, making it easily beat any store-bought sauce hands down.
You can easily adjust the chunkiness or smoothness in the sauce according to your taste.
For a chunkier version, I stop pureeing the tomatoes sooner, when there are still some bits of tomato left. For a smooth version, I chop the tomatoes finely first and then puree them very well.
Since the method and recipe is easy, you can also feel free to adjust the quantity of herbs as per your choice.
This pizza sauce recipe works well for 8 medium-sized pizzas. If you are making more pizzas, the sauce recipe can easily be doubled.
If you do not use all of the sauce right away, simply store it in a bowl or a jar in the refrigerator and use within the next 10 to 15 days.
Ingredients you need
- Tomatoes: Freshly crushed or pureed. When choosing which tomato to use, most varieties will work. Just be sure they are fresh, red, and ripe. Roma tomatoes is a typical variety used for pizza sauce and work well. Indian tomatoes also work well for this recipe.
- Fresh Garlic: In absence of fresh garlic, sub with ½ teaspoon of garlic powder
- Fresh Basil: One of the key herbs and I recommend not to skip them. Though fresh basil offers a more potent flavor – if you do not have fresh basil, include 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried basil.
- Dry Oregano: Packaged or bottled dried oregano is easily available in grocery stores. You can also add fresh oregano in place of the dried ones.
- Olive oil: Use a good quality olive oil.
- Seasonings: Salt and Black Pepper (freshly cracked or ground) are the preferred seasonings.
More Ways to use Pizza Sauce
In addition to pizza, the sauce also works well with pasta. Just toss some cooked pasta, along with some steamed or sautéed veggies, in the sauce. Then top with some cheese and bake or grill the pasta till until the cheese melts.
Make pizza toasts, pizza loaves, calzone, pizza puffs and grilled sandwiches with this pizza sauce recipe.
How to make Pizza Sauce
Preparation
1. Rinse and chop 5 to 6 medium to large tomatoes (500 grams). Take the chopped tomatoes in a blender jar.
2. Crush tomatoes. Pulse or blend in intervals for some seconds. You can make a smooth purée if you want. You do not need to blanch tomatoes before crushing.
3. The photo below shows the consistency of the crushed tomatoes. If using canned tomatoes, then add 2 cups canned crushed tomatoes or about one 15 ounce can of crushed tomatoes.
Making pizza sauce
4. Heat ¼ cup olive oil in a pan. Add 2 teaspoons minced garlic.
5. Sauté garlic for 5 to 6 seconds on a low heat. You do not need to brown the garlic.
6. Add the crushed tomatoes.
7. Mix well.
8. Sauté for 4 to 5 minutes on low or medium-low heat.
9. Season with salt as per taste and mix very well.
10. Cover the pan with lid and simmer for 25 minutes on low heat.
11. Do check and stir at intervals. If the sauce looks very thick and is sticking to the bottom of the pan, add ¼ cup water and mix well. Cover and continue to cook.
12. Simmer till the sauce has thickened and the tomatoes have softened completely. When tomatoes are cooked you will some oil specks on top or on the sides. But cook till the sauce thickens.
13. When the sauce has thickened, add ¼ cup chopped fresh basil.
14. Add 2 teaspoons dried oregano.
15. Season with ½ teaspoon crushed black pepper powder or as required.
16. Mix very well and cook for a minute.
17. Let the sauce cool at room temperature.
18. When the sauce has cooled, you can use it right away as a pizza topping. Or else store the sauce in a clean or sterilized small to medium jar in the refrigerator or in the freezer.
To freeze add sauce to ice cubes tray. Let the cubes freeze. Then place the frozen cubes in a freezer-safe container.
If you plan to store the sauce for a longer time, then you can add 1 tablespoon red wine or ½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar.
19. The pizza sauce keeps good for about 10 to 15 days in the refrigerator and a couple of months in the freezer.
Tips & FAQs
Yes, add one 14 to 15 ounce can of san marzano tomatoes or whole peeled tomatoes. You can crush or puree the canned tomatoes in a blender or use them whole and mash while cooking.
Yes, you can use canned tomato sauce. Use could use two 8 ounces can of tomato sauce. But then you do not need to simmer the sauce. Just mix ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, 1 to 2 tablespoons dried basil, ½ teaspoon oregano, salt and pepper and your sauce will be ready in 5 minutes.
Yes, you can use packaged or tinned tomato puree. Add about 2 cups of tomato puree. If using tomato puree, you will need to add some water as canned tomato puree is thick. Follow the recipe and simmer after adding tinned tomato puree for about 5 to 6 minutes.
Yes you can add about ¼ cup tomato paste.
Yes, you can freeze. I sometimes make a big batch of this pizza sauce recipe and freeze it. Add sauce in ice cubes tray. Let the cubes freeze. Then place the frozen cubes in a freezer safe container. Having a homemade pizza sauce in your freezer, makes it very easy to make homemade pizzas for the entire family.
No, tomato ketchup won’t work in this recipe.
Yes, you can easily scale the recipe and make a large batch of the homemade sauce.
You can use 1 to 2 tablespoons dried basil in this pizza sauce recipe. If you even do not have dried basil then use Italian seasoning. You can add 1 to 2 tablespoons of Italian seasoning.
Replace olive oil with a neutral tasting oil like sunflower oil or safflower oil.
Yes, you can add crushed red chilli flakes.
Yes, you can do that.
Yes, you can add 1 to 2 tablespoons of Italian seasoning, but then omit adding the fresh basil and oregano.
Add about 1 teaspoon of red chilli flakes or 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper or red chilli powder. Alternatively you can also add 2 to 3 tablespoons of spicy sriracha sauce.
Yes, you can.
No, they are not the same. Though they come from the same family of plant kingdom, but both are different.
Oregano is called as sathra or ban tulsi in Hindi language.
More Homemade Sauce Recipes
Condiments
Condiments
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Pizza Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic or 8 to 10 small to medium-sized garlic or 5 grams
- 2 cups crushed tomatoes or 5 to 6 medium to large tomatoes or 500 grams
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil or 1 to 2 tablespoons dried basil
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano or 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
- salt as required
- ½ teaspoon crushed black pepper or add as required
Instructions
Preparation
- Rinse and then chop the tomatoes.
- Crush the tomatoes in a blender.
- You can even make a smooth puree of the tomatoes.
Making pizza sauce
- Heat olive oil in a pan.
- Then add the minced garlic and sauté for 4 to 5 seconds on a low heat.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and sauté for 4 to 5 mins on a low to medium-low heat.
- Add the chopped basil, dried oregano, salt and pepper.
- Cover and cook for 25 minutes on low heat till the sauce has thickened and the tomatoes are cooked.
- When tomatoes are cooked you will some oil specks on top or on the sides. But cook till the sauce thickens.
- Check the seasonings add more salt or pepper if required.
- Remove from pan and let sauce cool.
- When the sauce has cooled, you can use it right away as a pizza topping.
- Otherwise, store the pizza sauce covered or sealed in a bowl or a small to medium jar in the refrigerator. You can even freeze the sauce for a couple of months.
Video
Notes
Tips
- Consistency: For a smooth version of the sauce, puree the tomatoes very well. For a chunkier version, crush the tomatoes.
- Too tangy or sour: If the sauce becomes too sour, then add ½ to 1 teaspoon sugar to it.
- Scaling: You can make a small batch or a large batch by halving or doubling the recipe.
- Spicy pizza sauce recipe: For a spicier version of the sauce, add 1 teaspoon of crushed red chili flakes or cayenne pepper or red chili powder.
- Adding tomato paste: Add about ¼ cup tomato paste together with the crushed tomatoes.
- Storing options: You can refrigerate the sauce in sealed bowls or glass jars for 10 to 15 days. The sauce freezes easily for a couple of months. Freeze in freezer-safe containers. Cover or seal the lid tightly when freezing.
Ingredient Swaps
1. For Fresh tomatoes:- Use two 8 ounces can of tomato sauce OR
- Use one 15 ounce of crushed tomatoes OR
- Use one 14 to 15 ounce can of san marzano tomatoes or whole peeled tomatoes. You can crush or puree the canned tomatoes in a blender or use whole and mash them when cooking.
- You can also use 2 cups of canned tomato puree. You will need to add some water as canned tomato puree is thick. Follow the recipe and simmer after adding canned tomato puree for about 5 to 6 minutes.
Nutrition Info (Approximate values)
This recipe post from the archives (December 2013) has been republished and updated on 25 September 2020.
Hi Dassana,
Awesome recipe.. tried n turned out very good..tried veg pizza n my daughter loved it so much.. thanks a lot for the wonderful recipes.. I tried a couple of recipes from your website and all of them turned out very yum…banana bread, Black Forest cake, pizza, are some of my family favorites..
Wanted to know if Pizza Sauce is good to freeze..If so how can I freeze and how long will it stay fresh.. I had lot of tomatoes, fresh basil n oregano in my garden ..wanted to make pizza sauce..Thanks in advance😊
Hi Sree, thanks a lot for letting me know and for sharing the positive feedback on the recipes. I make pizza sauce in bulk and freeze it. This recipe can be scaled up. The pizza sauce stays good for a couple of months. Same here, sometimes I have too many tomatoes, basil and I end up making pizza sauce as it is the easiest to make. I also make marinara sauce and I will share the recipe in some time. Welcome and happy cooking.
amazing…Tried it out today…wonderful!
by the way i live in chennai and none of the stores sell fresh basil…how do you grow them at home?
thanks again for the recipe!!
thanks radhika. basil can be grown from seeds just like the way tulsi can be grown from seeds. both are from same family of herbs. alternatively you can use dried basil which will be available in stores. basil seeds will be available in a plant nursery shop or even online.
Had tried this recipe earlier. Tastes really like ready-made sauce. Kids just loved it. Thanks a lot.
thanks priyanka and nice to read your feedback.
Can i use readymade tomato puree instead of tomatoes?? If yes how much for this recipe..
you can use ready tomato puree. about 1.5 to 2 cups will work.