The Best Homemade Pizza Sauce Recipe
Nothing beats the incredible taste of homemade pizza sauce made from fresh garden tomatoes! Pizza lovers of all ages will go crazy for this rich, flavorful sauce that makes every pizza night feel like a special occasion. The best part is you can make a huge batch and freeze it for months of amazing pizza nights ahead.
Recipe Details
Timing & Servings: Cook Time: 30 minutes, Additional Time: 2 hours 15 minutes, Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes, Servings: 20, Yield: 5 cups
Nutrition Profile: Low-Carb, Dairy-Free, Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten-Free, Low-Calorie
Nutrition Facts (per serving): 44 Calories, 2g Fat, 5g Carbs, 1g Protein
Ingredients You’ll Need
Fresh or frozen tomatoes: You’ll need 5 pounds of cored whole tomatoes. Fresh summer tomatoes work amazing, but frozen ones are perfect too! I love how you can prep tomatoes when they’re in season and freeze them whole for later.
Extra-virgin olive oil: Just 3 tablespoons gives this sauce such a rich, smooth flavor. Don’t skip the good stuff here!
Medium onions: 2 onions chopped up add the perfect sweet base flavor. Yellow or white onions both work great.
Fresh garlic: 4 cloves minced will make your kitchen smell absolutely amazing. Fresh garlic beats the jarred stuff every time!
Dried basil: 3/4 teaspoon dried or 1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil brings that classic Italian flavor we all love.
Dried thyme: 3/4 teaspoon dried or 1 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme adds such a lovely earthy taste.
Dried oregano: 3/4 teaspoon dried or 1 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano is what makes this taste like real pizza sauce!
Salt and pepper: 1 3/4 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper season everything perfectly.
Sugar: 1 to 2 teaspoons is optional but really helps balance the acidity of the tomatoes.
Tomato paste: 2 tablespoons at the end gives the sauce that perfect thick, rich consistency.
How to Make Homemade Pizza Sauce
Step 1: Get your tomatoes ready first. If using fresh tomatoes, bring a big pot of water to a boil. Make a small X cut in the bottom of each tomato. Drop them in the boiling water for 30 seconds to 2 minutes until the skins start to loosen. Quickly move them to a bowl of ice water for 1 minute. The skins will peel right off starting at that X! If you’re using frozen tomatoes, just run them under warm water and rub the skins off. Let them thaw completely and chop them up, saving all that good juice.
Step 2: Heat your olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add those chopped onions and cook them for 4 to 6 minutes, stirring often until they start to turn golden brown. The smell will be incredible! Add the minced garlic and stir for just 1 minute.
Step 3: Now add all your chopped tomatoes with their juice, basil, thyme, oregano, salt, pepper, and sugar if you’re using it. Bring everything to a nice boil. Turn the heat down to keep it at a gentle simmer and let it cook for about 2 hours until it’s thick like pizza sauce should be. Taste it and add more salt, pepper, or sugar if needed.
Step 4: Transfer your hot sauce to a blender and add the tomato paste. Blend until it’s completely smooth. Be super careful with hot liquids in the blender! Your amazing homemade pizza sauce is ready to use.
Easy and Quick Pizza Sauce Version
Want to speed things up? You can totally use canned crushed tomatoes instead! Use two 28-ounce cans of good quality crushed tomatoes and skip all the tomato prep work. Just sauté your onions and garlic, add the canned tomatoes and seasonings, and simmer for just 45 minutes instead of 2 hours. You’ll still get incredible flavor in half the time!
Serving Ideas
This sauce is perfect for any pizza you can dream up! Spread it on your favorite pizza dough and top with mozzarella and whatever you love. It’s also amazing as a dipping sauce for breadsticks or garlic bread. You can even use it as a base for pasta sauce by adding some extra herbs.
Storage
Store your sauce in the fridge for up to 3 days in a covered container. For longer storage, freeze it for up to 6 months in freezer-safe containers or bags. Just thaw overnight in the fridge when you’re ready to use it. No need to reheat before using on pizza!
Substitutions
No fresh herbs? Dried herbs work perfectly fine and that’s what I usually use! You can swap the onions for shallots if you want a milder flavor. If you don’t have a Dutch oven, any large heavy-bottomed pot will work great. Can’t find good fresh tomatoes? Canned whole tomatoes work too – just drain and chop them up.
Pro Tips
- Tomato trick: Freeze fresh tomatoes whole when they’re in season. The skins slip right off when thawed!
- Flavor boost: Add a splash of red wine while simmering for extra depth.
- Consistency check: Your sauce should coat a spoon but not be too thick. It will thicken more as it cools.
- Batch cooking: This recipe makes enough for several pizzas, so freeze portions in ice cube trays for easy single-serving portions.
FAQs
Can I use this sauce right away?
You bet! This sauce is ready to use as soon as it’s done cooking and blended. It tastes even better after it sits for a bit and all the flavors meld together.
Why do I need to peel the tomatoes?
Sure, you could skip peeling, but those skins can make your sauce a bit tough and chewy. Taking the extra time to peel them gives you a much smoother, better-tasting sauce that’s totally worth it!
Can I make this sauce less chunky?
Absolutely! If you want it super smooth, blend it longer or use an immersion blender right in the pot. Some people love a chunkier sauce, so just blend it to your perfect consistency.
What if my sauce is too thin?
No worries! Just keep simmering it uncovered until it reaches the thickness you want. The tomato paste at the end really helps thicken things up too.
I hope you love this homemade pizza sauce as much as my family does! Let me know how your pizza night turns out and if you try any fun variations. There’s nothing quite like the satisfaction of making your own sauce from scratch!
