This incredibly easy Homemade Pizza Sauce recipe can be whipped up in less than 5 minutes using pantry ingredients like tomato paste, tomato sauce, and herbs and spices. It’s a NO-COOK recipe with incredible pizzeria-style flavor.
We love making pizzas at home on Friday nights using this easy homemade pizza sauce and our favorite Pizza Dough Recipe. It’s always fun to make smaller personal pizzas and let everybody top their own!
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This is the Best Homemade Pizza Sauce!
In my quest to make pizza at home that tastes just as good as the kind you get from your favorite pizza place, I feel like I’ve tried dozens of different pizza sauce recipes.
While pizza sauce can be as simple as pureed tomatoes that are minimally seasoned with a little salt and pepper, I wanted a pizza sauce that would remind me of the old school pizza parlors I loved (and still love when I find them!) of my childhood.
You know the ones I’m talking about. The ones with a few arcade games in the corner, wood paneling on the walls, and pitchers of root beer for the table.
I sometimes feel nostalgic for those old school pizza places, which can be hard to find since big pizza franchises have taken over so much of the market these days.
Which is why I developed this awesome, easy pizza sauce that adds a major authenticity factor to the flavor quotient of our homemade pizzas. It’s far superior to the small (expensive!) jars of pizza sauce that you can buy at the store.
Homemade Pizza Sauce ingredients
- Tomato paste – Basically highly concentrated tomato sauce that has bold tomato flavor. You will find a small can of tomato paste just about anywhere.
- Tomato sauce – the base of the pizza sauce.
- Dried oregano
- Dried basil
- Sugar – adds a touch of sweetness
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- Crushed red pepper flakes – adds a nice kick of flavor.
How to make Pizza Sauce from Tomato Sauce
I use a combination of tomato paste and tomato sauce and dried herbs and spices to get the thick, rich, condensed tomato flavor without having to cook down crushed tomatoes.
Not only is the no-cook pizza sauce easier, but in the end I actually found that I preferred the flavor over the many batches of pizza sauce I tested using slowly simmered crushed or diced tomatoes.
And it’s literally just a matter of adding all of the ingredients together in a bowl and whisking them until they are combined. You don’t even need to lug out your blender!
This easy pizza sauce recipe takes less than five minutes to pull together, so don’t be intimidated by the list of ingredients.
I went all-in on the spices to get a really classic pizza sauce flavor. It really shines underneath all the cheese and toppings that seem to get the glory when it comes to making homemade pizza.
There is the slightest amount of heat thanks to the crushed red pepper flakes, which you can omit or cut in half if you are worried about the sauce being too spicy. But it makes such a big difference and really takes this pizza sauce to the next level. I highly recommend it.
This pizza sauce is thick thanks to the addition of tomato paste, but easily spreadable at room temperature. If you would like to thin the sauce a bit, I recommend adding a tablespoon or two of olive oil.
How to use Pizza Sauce
I mean the most obvious way to use this amazing sauce is on your homemade pizza crust but it also makes a great dipping sauce for Toasted Ravioli , Breadsticks, meatballs, make some pizza cups, add it to pasta, add a scoop of pizza sauce to your tomato soup, cook some beef in it, and so much more!
Storing & Freezing Instructions for Home Made Pizza Sauce
Make-Ahead & Storing: This pizza sauce can be made up to 1 week in advance and kept in the fridge in an airtight container.
The sauce will thicken when it gets cold. Be sure to pull it out of the fridge at least 1 hour before you plan to use it so it has time to come up to room temperature. Or you can microwave it to heat it enough so that it is easy to spread.
Freezing: You can freeze homemade pizza sauce for up to 3 months. Just let it thaw overnight in the fridge and then sit out on the counter for an hour or two to warm up before using it to top your pizza.
You can even freeze your sauce in a mason jar like the ones in these picture. Just make sure you don’t fill them as full as I did!
If the jar is straight, you can fill it 1-2 inches from the rim. But with jars like these where they have rounded “shoulders”, fill them 1-2 inches below the shoulder so there is plenty of room for the sauce to expand while it freezes without shattering the jar.
Homemade Pizza Sauce Recipe FAQs
This is really a matter of both personal preference and the size of your pizza. I usually use about ¼ cup to ½ cup of pizza sauce on our medium-large pizzas.
If you put it on too thick, the crust won’t cook through as easily. But I also don’t skimp on the sauce since I love the flavor it gives to the pizza!
The key for me is being able to see the pizza dough beneath the sauce in places. I just spoon on a few large spoonfuls and spread it with the back of the spoon until it’s within about 1″ from the edge.
Your pizza sauce should be thicker than regular tomato sauce but not so thick that it’s like a paste. You want to be able to easily spread it without it being too runny.
Pizza sauce is similar to marinara but not the same. The texture is different. Pizza sauce is thicker than marinara and cooked on top of pizza.
The amazing flavor is a great blend of the Italian herbs, especially the dried oregano and dried basil in this recipe. The salt and sugar balance out the tanginess of the tomatoes. Add in garlic powder and onion powder which bring depth to the sauce to tie all the flavors together.
More Recipes Like This
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
Homemade Pizza Sauce
Ingredients
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 15 ounces tomato sauce
- 1 Tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients together in a medium-size bowl and whisk well until combined.
- Spread ¼ to ½ cup of the sauce onto your favorite rolled out pizza dough, then top with cheese and bake to make pizzas.
Notes
- This recipe makes about 2 ½ cups of sauce, which is enough for 4-6 medium pizzas, depending on how heavy-handed you are with the sauce.
- This pizza sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. It will thicken in the fridge, so you will need to warm it at room temperature for an hour or reheat slightly in the microwave so it is easily spreadable before using on a pizza.
- Freezing: This sauce freezes well for up to 3 months! Just thaw overnight and let it sit out on the counter at room temperature for 1-2 hours before using.
LOVE LOVE LOVE this recipe! I’ve made it several times already, along with your whole wheat pizza dough. All my guys (and the dog!) love it, too! I make double batches of both recipes and freeze leftovers for when someone wants a happy treat or for a quick Friday dinner.
I’ll divide the dough into single serve portions, and everyone gets to make their own. 😄 I’ll even make calzones with it too. So, so good!
That makes me so happy to hear! Thank you for leaving a review!
I have made this several times. It is my go to recipe. 5 stars plus! Easy to put together, freezes well, but most importantly, tastes better than the jarred stuff from the grocery store. Thank you, thank you for a terrific pizza sauce.
Quick and easy to make and is very good
Hi Amy, what tomato sauce do you use? Do you make your own or do use store bought sauce?
Hey John, I just use whatever tomato sauce is on sale and looks good at the store. I don’t make my own.