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This Easy Homemade Pizza Sauce takes minutes to prepare. It's loaded with gorgeous Italian flavor and can even double as a spaghetti sauce.
Here are some amazing pizzas to use the sauce with: Charred Mexican Street Corn Flatbread, Grilled Mushroom Pizza, and Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza.
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The fantastic thing about making a homemade pizza sauce is the simplicity that's in it. I first learned how to make pizza sauce as a delivery driver at my first restaurant job. I can remember it now: all the giant canned tomatoes, oregano, sugar, and salt, and just the smell alone was delicious.
Since then, I have been on a mission to figure out how to replicate that sauce recipe's flavor, scent, and memories.
A few years ago, I nailed it, but I have rarely shared the recipe. Now, the secrets are out, and you'll never buy a jar of pizza sauce off the shelf again with all those preservatives in it. Instead, you'll buy some tomato sauce or San Marzano tomatoes if you're fancy and will make this recipe.
The great thing about no-cook pizza sauce is that it will cook in a hot 500°F oven, so it is unnecessary to cook it separately.
Key Ingredients
Here are some ingredients you'll need for my incredible pizza sauce recipe.
Tomato Sauce
You'll need some canned tomato sauce; every brand is different. Hunts is my go-to because of the consistency of the brand. Others I've tried are good, but Hunts never fails me.
Sugar
A little granulated sugar reduces the acid reflux that people sometimes get from eating tomato sauce.
Fresh Garlic
A couple of garlic cloves make this sauce memorable. Just stay away from the stuff in the jar.
Fresh Basil
This is optional, but I promise something about the sweet basil and tomatoes that make it.
Italian Seasoning
I love the blend of herbs that Italian seasoning provides. Most contain dried oregano, dried basil, dried thyme, dried rosemary, dried savory, and dried sage.
How to Make No-Cook Pizza Sauce
I wanted my homemade pizza sauce recipe to be tasty and a crowd-pleaser! I will show you how to maximize your time in 5 minutes and keep a jar of lovely sauce.
Combine tomato sauce, minced garlic, sugar, kosher salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning in a medium bowl, stir together, and transfer extra to an airtight container.
This is enough pizza sauce for a 12-inch pizza.
How To Store Pizza Sauce
Pizza sauce will be fresh for 1 month in an airtight container like a mason jar in the refrigerator. If you want to make it in advance, freeze it in an airtight container in the freezer for 30 days. Thaw for 24 hours in the refrigerator before using.
Pro Recipe Substitutions, Tips & Tricks
Here are the best techniques, substitutes, and flavor builders you'll need for delicious, mouthwatering, easy pizza sauce.
- If you have diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, or whole canned tomatoes, add them to a food processor or blender and use them. This will make fresh tomato sauce. Never use tomato paste in your pizza sauce.
- If you use crushed or diced tomatoes, it'll make a tasty marinara sauce.
- If you like a spicy tomato sauce, add some red pepper flakes to the sauce.
- If you have fresh tomatoes, roast or cook them down and weigh out enough to equal the amount of tomato sauce needed.
- You can use dried oregano instead of Italian seasoning in the pizza sauce if that's all you have.
- ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder is equivalent to 2 minced garlic cloves.
- Double the recipe and use it as a pasta sauce for 1 pound of cooked pasta. It's also great for dipping breadsticks in!
FAQs
Here are readers' top questions about making a homemade pizza sauce recipe.
Does pizza sauce need to be cooked?
There's no need to cook pizza sauce because the sauce will cook as you cook the pizza in a hot oven.
Can you have pizza sauce raw?
Yes, you can eat pizza sauce raw. Most pizza sauces are made from simple ingredients like tomatoes, garlic, and fresh herbs, which are all safe to eat raw. The cooking process deepens the flavors and melds them together, but it's unnecessary for safety reasons.
Can I substitute tomato paste for pizza sauce?
Tomato paste does not have the same consistency as tomato sauce. Now, if you want a thick pizza sauce, then use tomato paste by all means. However, it may not taste as good as you may think. If you only have tomato paste at home, tell a friend to bring you some tomato sauce so you can make an easy pizza sauce at home.
Can I freeze pizza sauce?
Absolutely! I like to keep mine in a mason jar because it freezes fast but also thaws quickly because of the glass. Keep it in an airtight container in the freezer for a month and thaw it in cold water or the fridge 24 hours before you need it.
Can I use ketchup as pizza sauce?
Absolutely not! Although ketchup is made from tomatoes, it will not create the same delicious pizza sauce you may be aiming for. Keep the ketchup for BBQ sauce or french fries.
More Pizza Night Recipes
If you need additional recipes for dinner or your pizza night, you can check out these recipes!
- Triple Chocolate Brownies
- Honey BBQ Wings
- Cajun Ranch Wings
- Lemongrass Hoisin Sauce Wings
- Sweet Thai Chili Wings
- Honey Garlic Wings
- Garlic Parmesan Wings
Before You Begin
Here are my steps for getting organized and moving fast in the kitchen.
Step 1: Read the recipe thoroughly to ensure you have everything you need.
Step 2: Measure everything out.
Step 3: Start preparing the ingredients and follow the recipe to enjoy the best pizza sauce recipe you've ever tasted.
This no-cook pizza sauce recipe is a quick, easy, and delicious solution for your homemade pizza fix. The fresh ingredients blend together to create a robust and flavorful sauce that will elevate your pizza to new heights.
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📖 Recipe
No-Cook Pizza Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 15 oz. can of tomato sauce
- 2 medium garlic cloves chopped fine
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 large fresh basil leaves chopped fine
Instructions
- In a medium bowl add the tomato sauce, garlic, sugar, kosher salt, black pepper, oregano and basil, stir together, transfer extra to an airtight container.
Notes
- If you have diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, or whole canned tomatoes, add them to a food processor or blender and use them. This will make fresh tomato sauce. Never use tomato paste in your pizza sauce.
- If you use crushed or diced tomatoes, it'll make a tasty marinara sauce.
- If you like a spicy tomato sauce, add some red pepper flakes to the sauce.
- If you have fresh tomatoes, roast or cook them down and weigh out enough to equal the amount of tomato sauce needed.
- You can use dried oregano instead of Italian seasoning in the pizza sauce if that's all you have.
- ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder is equivalent to 2 minced garlic cloves.
- Double the recipe and use it as a pasta sauce for 1 pound of cooked pasta. It's also great for dipping breadsticks in!
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