Homemade Pizza Sauce

Homemade pizza sauce is a tasty and simple sauce you can make at home to use on pizza. It’s the important layer that pulls all the toppings together and gives your pizza great flavor. By making pizza sauce yourself, you choose the ingredients, so it tastes fresher and has the right thickness to avoid making your crust soggy. It’s a fun kitchen project that makes homemade pizza tastier and more rewarding.

What Is Homemade Pizza Sauce?

Homemade pizza sauce is a sauce made mostly with tomatoes and is made just for pizza. It adds tangy, sweet, and savory notes underneath the cheese and toppings. You can change the sauce to fit your tastes-make it sweeter, less sour, or use the herbs and spices you like. There are fast, no-cook versions and slow-cooked options, both allowing you to use fresh ingredients and get the taste you want.

Difference between pizza sauce and pasta sauce

Though both pizza and pasta sauces use tomatoes, pizza sauce is thicker and has a stronger flavor. A thick sauce is important for pizza, because thin sauces can make the crust wet. That’s why tomato paste is common in pizza sauce. Pizza sauce also has more herbs and is usually not cooked as long as pasta sauce-this keeps the taste bold so it stands out among the cheese and toppings. Pasta sauce, on the other hand, is often thinner and cooked slowly, giving it a softer and more blended taste.

Benefits of making pizza sauce at home

• Fresher, better taste than store-bought sauces
• No preservatives or artificial flavors
• You choose the salt, sugar, and any other ingredients
• Easy to avoid ingredients you can’t eat or don’t want
• Can be cheaper in the long run
• Recipes can be quick-some take only five minutes
• Feels good to make something from scratch

Essential Ingredients for Homemade Pizza Sauce

Your pizza sauce will only be as good as the ingredients you use. Picking quality tomatoes, herbs, and other basics is important for making a sauce with great flavor and texture.

Fresh vs. canned tomatoes

• Fresh tomatoes (like Roma): Best when ripe and in season. They give a bright and sweet flavor but might need to cook longer to thicken.
• Canned tomatoes: Available all year and work well for pizza sauce. Most people prefer canned whole peeled tomatoes (such as San Marzano) because they are picked ripe and taste balanced and sweet. Avoid diced tomatoes, since they can be too firm and may not break down easily.

Role of herbs and spices

• Dried oregano and Italian seasoning give the classic pizza taste
• Dried or fresh basil, marjoram, rosemary, and thyme can all be used
• Start by frying dried herbs in oil or butter to get more flavor
• Garlic and onion-fresh or powdered-give depth
• Red pepper flakes for a little heat, if you like
• Salt and pepper are needed for seasoning
• A small amount of sugar (or honey or balsamic vinegar) balances the sourness of the tomatoes

Selecting oils and aromatics

• Extra-virgin olive oil adds a fruity and rich taste
• Butter can soften the taste and make the sauce smoother
• Sautéing garlic and dried herbs in oil before adding tomatoes brings out more flavor
• Onion (fresh or powder) can be added early in the cooking

How to Make Homemade Pizza Sauce Step by Step

Making your own pizza sauce is easy and doesn’t take much time, especially with a no-cook recipe. It’s mostly about mixing the right ingredients together.

Instructions (No-Cook Pizza Sauce)

1. Combine 1 can of tomato sauce and 1 can of tomato paste in a bowl. Mix well until smooth.
2. Add your dried herbs and spices: oregano, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper. You can also add a bit of sugar or honey if you like.
3. Stir until everything is well mixed. Taste and add more seasoning if needed.
4. It’s ready to use-spread it on your pizza dough.

Tips for the best consistency

• Pizza sauce should be thick enough to spread, but not too stiff. If the sauce is too runny, add more tomato paste.
• If it’s too thick, add a small splash of water or olive oil and mix until you reach the texture you want.
• If you’re cooking your sauce, let it simmer on low heat until it gets thicker (15-60 minutes).
• Sauce gets thicker once it cools, so check the thickness after it’s cooled down a bit.

Customizing Your Pizza Sauce Recipe

One of the best parts of making pizza sauce yourself is that you can change the recipe any way you want to fit your needs or tastes.

Common substitutions and variations

• Use blended fresh tomatoes or blended diced tomatoes if you don’t have tomato sauce
• Use honey instead of sugar for a different taste
• Don’t have garlic salt? Use garlic powder and add sea salt
• Add chili flakes for more spiciness
• Add a Parmesan cheese rind in to simmer if you want extra flavor
• Mix in veggies like carrots, mushrooms, or bell peppers for more nutrients

Adapting for dietary needs (vegan, low-sodium, etc.)

• Standard recipes are usually vegan; just don’t use butter or cheese rinds if you need it to be 100% plant-based
• Choose no-salt-added canned tomatoes and tomato paste if you’re lowering sodium
• You can skip the sugar, since ripe tomatoes are naturally sweet
• Being able to choose your ingredients makes this sauce great for anyone with allergies or on special diets

Nutritional Information for Homemade Pizza Sauce

Knowing what’s in your pizza sauce can help you make healthier choices, especially when comparing homemade to store-bought versions.

Calories and macronutrients per serving

• Contains fiber, vitamin C, vitamin A, and potassium
• Low sugar, especially if you add little or no extra sugar
• Sodium can be high, but you control this with your tomato choices

Homemade vs. store-bought pizza sauces

• Store sauces often have more salt, sugar, and sometimes chemicals or preservatives
• Making sauce at home lets you pick the ingredients, reduce sugar and salt, and skip additives
• Homemade sauce tastes fresher and less processed

Storing and Freezing Homemade Pizza Sauce

Keep your homemade pizza sauce fresh so you can enjoy it later. Good storage helps stop it from spoiling and saves time for your next pizza night.

How long does homemade pizza sauce last in the fridge?

• Store in a sealed container in the fridge for about 5 to 7 days (some people keep it up to two weeks in a glass jar).
• If you see mold, smell something bad, or the sauce looks weird, throw it away.

How to freeze pizza sauce for later use

• Homemade pizza sauce freezes well and can stay good for up to 3 months, sometimes even 6 months
• Freezing is a great way to prepare in advance

Best containers and storage tips

• Use airtight containers or glass jars for the fridge
• For freezing, use freezer-safe jars, containers, or plastic freezer bags
• If you use jars, leave some room-about an inch at the top-for the sauce to expand when frozen
• Cool the sauce before storing to keep other foods safe
• Label containers with the storage date

How to reheat and use leftover sauce

• Thaw frozen sauce in the fridge overnight, or use a bowl of cold water for faster thawing
• If the sauce gets too thick in the fridge, add a splash of water or olive oil to thin it
• Reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave, then use as usual on your pizza

Best Ways to Use Homemade Pizza Sauce

Homemade pizza sauce is not just for pizza pies. Its strong taste makes it helpful for many dishes.

Classic pizza recipes

• Spread sauce on pizza dough-usually about 6 tablespoons for a 12-inch pizza, 1/4 cup for a 10-inch one
• Top with cheese and any other toppings
• Bake at a high temperature (about 500°F) for 10-15 minutes, until bubbly and golden

Other ways to use pizza sauce

• Dip for garlic bread, mozzarella sticks, chicken tenders, or breadsticks
• Quick pasta sauce: Mix with cooked pasta for a fast meal
• Use in “pizzadillas”-put it inside a tortilla with cheese
• Spread inside stromboli, or add to stuffed peppers, zucchini boats, or pizza chicken bake
• Use anywhere you want a thick, tomato-based flavor

Frequently Asked Questions about Homemade Pizza Sauce

What are the best tomatoes for pizza sauce?

• San Marzano canned whole tomatoes are often recommended. They have a nice balance of sweet and sour tastes.
• Ripe Roma tomatoes also work if using fresh.
• Diced tomatoes can be too firm. Whole peeled tomatoes are usually best for a smooth sauce.

Can I make pizza sauce without cooking?

• Yes, no-cook recipes are popular. Just mix tomato sauce and tomato paste with herbs and spices. It tastes fresh and is fast to make-ready in about 5 minutes.
• The sauce will cook while the pizza bakes, so you don’t have to cook the sauce ahead of time.

How do I make my sauce thicker or thinner?

• For thicker sauce, add more tomato paste or let it simmer longer until water evaporates.
• For thinner sauce, add a bit of water, vegetable broth, or olive oil and mix.
• Sauce thickens as it cools, so check the texture before adding more liquid.

Why does my pizza sauce taste bitter?

• It could be from tomatoes that are too acidic.
• Add a small amount of sugar, honey, or balsamic vinegar to balance out the taste.
• Burned garlic can make the sauce bitter-cook garlic gently.
• Blending tomato seeds for too long can also bring bitterness; try blending quickly and not overdoing it.