Pizza Sauce Recipe

Pizza Sauce is essentially a tangy tomato sauce that is spiced and flavored with herbs like garlic, basil, oregano, seasoned with black pepper, salt and made with olive oil. This Pizza Sauce recipe is no different and follows the classic method of pureeing tomatoes and cooking with the herbs. It is easy to make and is a delicious alternative to store-bought 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 plant based pizza, this recipe is perfect, as it is vegan!

About Pizza Sauce Recipe

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. As I have mentioned above the fresh tomatoes are pureed first and simmered further to make the sauce.

After sautéing the garlic in olive oil, the tomato puree is added, seasoned with salt and simmered until thickened and cooked through. Finally, fresh and/or dried herbs is added to the sauce and simmered for a few minutes.

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 to a finer consistency.

This is one of the best Pizza Sauce recipe that you can make. Since the method and recipe is easy, you can also feel free to adjust the quantity of herbs as per your choice.

This quantity of this Pizza Sauce 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.

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.

2. Crush tomatoes to a coarse puree. 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.

Make Homemade 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 thoroughly to get an even mixture.

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 until 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.

Storage Suggestions

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.

Tomato Varieties To Use

Just like any other sauce, for a perfectly robust homemade Pizza Sauce too, you would require the right variety of tomatoes.

Since tomato is the star ingredient in a Pizza Sauce Recipe, it is important to know what attributes of which variety make it suitable for this lovely sauce.

Some basic things that you should keep in mind while choosing the type of tomatoes for a Pizza Sauce Recipe are that the tomatoes have to be fresh, juicy, fleshy and pulpy.

You can use tomatoes that have a sweet-tangy taste, but not the ones that are unripe, too sour or too tart.

Also, tomatoes that are less acidic in nature, have a low water content and have fewer seeds with a thin skin are ideal for a Pizza Sauce.

Here are some of the varieties that make for a great sauce at home – San Marzano, Roma, Giulietta, Viva Italia, Amish Paste and Super Italian Paste.

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 Bread Pizza Toasts, pizza loaves, Calzone, Pizza Puffs and grilled sandwiches with this pizza sauce recipe.

Expert Tips

1. Consistency: For a smooth version of the sauce, puree the tomatoes very well. For a chunkier version, crush the tomatoes coarsely.
2. Adding Tomato Paste: Add about ¼ cup tomato paste together with the crushed tomatoes.
3. Too Tangy or Sour: If the sauce becomes too sour, then add ½ to 1 teaspoon sugar to it.
4. Spicy Pizza Sauce: For a spicier version of the sauce, add 1 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes, cayenne pepper or red chili powder.
5. Storage: 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 or ice cube trays. Cover or seal the lid tightly while freezing. You can also freeze the sauce in ice cube trays and then, place them in a freezer-safe container.
6. Scaling: You can easily make a small batch or a large batch by halving or doubling the recipe.

Ingredient Swaps

• Canned Tomatoes: Use two 8 ounces can of tomato sauce, one 15 ounce of crushed tomatoes or 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 while cooking.
• Canned Tomato Puree: You can also use 2 cups canned tomato puree. 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.
• Dried Basil: You can use 1 to 2 tablespoons dried basil in the sauce. Alternatively, skip the basil completely and add 1 to 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning. You can even add Thai basil instead of Italian basil.
• Fresh Oregano: Use fresh oregano or add some other herbs like thyme or parsley.
• White pepper: Easily swap white pepper instead of black pepper.
• Other Oils: Replace olive oil with a neutral tasting oil like sunflower oil or safflower oil. You can also use butter.

FAQs

Pizza Sauce recipe from the archives was first published on December 2013.