This homemade pizza sauce recipe is a no-fail thick and rich way to take your pizzas to the next level! It’s so easy to make your own sauce at home, loaded with savory, authentic ingredients. Make this amazing sauce in just minutes!
How does your family like to enjoy pizza? Are you a fan of fast and easy delivery? Or do you throw a frozen pizza in the oven occasionally?
Incredible Homemade Pizza Sauce Recipe
We like our pizza in all the ways. But our very favorite pizza is homemade, on the grill! You’ve got to check out this fun family pizza night for grilled pizza techniques.
I’ve shared this incredible porky fig prosciutto pizza, as well as a dessert pizza that is to die for! Don’t miss those for your pizza nights.
Pizza sauce is different than spaghetti sauce or marinara. Often, a classic marinara will simmer for hours. This homemade pizza sauce doesn’t need that!
In fact, you’ll see that you don’t have to cook it at all if you prefer – it’s so easy!
Why You’ll Love It
This robust pizza sauce recipe spreads easily and evenly. It’s a perfectly balance mixture of herbs, spices and tomatoes.
This sauce brings you restaurant quality at home. In fact, you might not ever want to go out for pizza again – especially since you’ll know how to easily customize your sauce and ingredients to your taste.
Use it for pizza on the grill or your oven- your choice! Regardless of how you serve it, you’re going to be blown away by how simple and easy this sauce is.
Ingredients to Make Sauce
- Tomato Paste – Can be substituted with tomato sauce or a can of tomatoes puréed if needed. Tomato paste creates a thicker sauce which prevents pizza from getting soggy.
- Water – Eliminate if substituting with tomato sauce.
- Olive Oil – Eliminate if substituting with tomato sauce.
Pizza Sauce Seasonings
The most amazing thing about making your own sauce is that you can custom blend seasonings to your preference. You can use fresh or dried, your preference! These are some of our favorite seasonings for sauce.
- Oregano
- Basil
- Thyme
- Rosemary
- Red Pepper
- Paprika
- Fennel
- Italian Seasoning Blend
- Salt
- Pepper
Variations
- Sugar – Sweeten the sauce with granulated sugar. Use a pinch to a tablespoon, to taste.
- Make it Thicker – Simply reduce the amount of water.
How to Make Pizza Sauce
- Blend – Optional: simmer on the stovetop to bring out all the flavors of herbs.
- Spread – Using the back of a spoon or a spatula, spread onto your crust.
No Cook Pizza Sauce
I love the way simmer sauce brings out all the flavors, but if you’re in a rush, you can just combine and top!
Cooking is not required! Pizza Sauce is ready to top pizzas when all the ingredients are combined. Whisk vigorously.
Alternatively, you can allow the flavors to meld by marinating.
Is it Healthy?
Yes, this homemade pizza sauce is healthy and fits into a variety of lifestyles.
In fact, it’s low carb (sugar is optional and minimal), so it works in a paleo or keto-friendly diet. One serving has just three grams of carbohydrates!
With just 51 calories per serving, it’s also low-cal! This pizza sauce is vegan and gluten free, too.
Tips
- Adjust Amount – Use the slider in the recipe card to double, triple or even quadruple, effortlessly.
- Choose Cooking Utensil Wisely – Use a red spatula or wood as the sauce will turn white to orange.
How Much Pizza Sauce to Use Per Pizza
Our family’s preference is to use about 3/4 cup of sauce per pizza. Of course, it’s easy to customize to your family’s tastes!
It’s so much fun to let your kids make their own- they can decide for themselves how much sauce is right for them!
To Store
- Refrigerate – Store in an airtight container up to 1 week refrigerated.
- Freeze – Store in an airtight container and freeze up to 3 months.
Uses for Homemade Sauce
- Pizza Rolls
- Breadstick Dip
- Stromboli
- Calzones
Setting up a create your own pizza bar? Off this classic pizza sauce along with olive oil and garlic, alfredo sauce and pesto sauce.
More Sauce Recipes
Homemade Pizza Sauce
Ingredients
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- 1 teaspoon basil
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper optional
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir.
- Allow to marinate or spread onto a pizza crust immediately.
Julie’s Tips
Substitutions
- Tomato Paste – Can be substituted with tomato sauce or a can of tomatoes puréed.
- Water – Eliminate if substituting with tomato sauce.
- Olive Oil – Eliminate if substituting with tomato sauce.
Variations
- Sugar – Sweeten the sauce with a pinch to a tablespoon of granulated sugar, to taste.
- Make it Thicker – Simply reduce the amount of water.
- Seasonings to Try – Oregano, Basil, Thyme, Rosemary, Red Pepper, Paprika, Fennel, Italian Seasoning Blend
No Cook Methods for Pizza Sauce
I love the way simmer sauce brings out all the flavors, but if you’re in a rush, you can just combine and top! Whisk vigorously. Alternatively, you can allow the flavors to meld by marinating.Serving Size
Makes enough for 2 medium to large pizzas.To Store
- Refrigerate – Store in an airtight container up to 1 week refrigerated.
- Freeze – Store in an airtight container and freeze up to 3 months.
Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.
You can actually have the best of all worlds with this. You’ll have to adjust everything and there’ll be more to freeze, but if cook yours and you use crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste, then you can add vegetable and/or beef broth to both thin it out and give it a hint of extra flavor at the same time. For spaghetti sauce, like to add a whole box of organic beef broth to the sauce and meat and let it simmer for a couple or three hours to tenderize the meat in it and let the extra water evaporate from the broth and leave behind the concentrated flavor, while also letting the flavor from herbs and spices develop more.
Always getting a thin crust just right is another challenge.
I have been making pizza sauce for a couple years! I started by mixing all ingredients in a large jar and not cooking it and putting it in the fridge. Two weeks later I would go back and get it out of the fridge and there would be a tiny bit of mold, so i would have to throw it out. So I started thinking that maybe the basil or oregano might be causing this. I started cooking the sauce for about five minutes and it solved the problem! It is so much better than store bought and I can control the salt. I’m going to try your recipe. Thanks
It really makes it flavorful. I like to keep salt to a minimum as well. Hope you enjoy!
This was so flavorful and bold; way better than any store bought version I have ever had!
What a great recipe! And so tasty. Loved every bite of our pizza with this sauce!
Nice and easy pizza sauce, love it! 🙂