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The best pizza sauce recipe uses dried herbs and tastes better than your favorite pizza shop! Have homemade, restaurant-quality pizza sauce in 15 minutes!
All you need is a couple of pantry staples and fifteen minutes to get that pizzeria flavor. This sauce is slightly sweet because of a little bit of sugar and tomato paste, which is what I prefer. They cut the bitterness and acidity of the tomatoes. But the best part? You can tweak it to your taste—skip anything you don’t like. Whether you’re into extra sauce or just enough to peek through the cheese, this recipe has you covered!
This easy homemade pizza sauce recipe pairs perfectly with my sourdough pizza dough or any homemade pizza crust you love. A huge perk is that it’s super freezer-friendly. I actually double the recipe and have it for fresh pizza all month! It’s always at the top of the list of requests, along with my BBQ chicken recipe and these stuffed shells with meat, or when we’re feeling extra Italian, this pizza rustica!
Table of Contents
What makes this the best pizza sauce recipe?
- It’s made with pantry staples, but it tastes better than store-bought. This recipe uses ingredients you already have in your pantry, but the pizza sauce will be better than ever because it’s homemade!
- No chopping fresh herbs. Minimal prep and still full of flavor, that’s my kind of secret sauce.
- Quick cooking for busy weeknights. You can have this sauce ready from beginning to end in 15 minutes! Pizza night never tasted better!
Professional Tips
- Taste as you go. You don’t want the sauce to taste salty. The goal is to salt it until you just taste “tomato.”
- Wait for the sauce to cool before using it. I do recommend using the sauce cold or at least cooled to room temperature. This will help prevent a soggy dough!
- Simmer longer for a deeper flavor. You can let it cook covered on the lowest simmer setting for up to 30 additional minutes. This will allow the flavors of the dried herbs to mellow and disperse through the sauce. This will also continue as it cools.
Ingredients
- Kosher Salt: Kosher salt is what I recommend for cooking. The salt also helps balance and neutralize the bitterness and acidity.
- Sugar
- Tomato Paste: Tomato paste adds an extra layer of flavor to and helps with thickening the sauce.
- Canned Tomato Sauce: You can use crushed tomatoes but tomato sauce is better. It goes without saying that the better the quality of sauce, the better the sauce will taste.
- Dried Oregano: Oregano is one of those classic spices in Italian cooking. Just a pinch of dried oregano adds a peppery, herbaceous taste to the sauce.
- Black Pepper: Freshly ground pepper has the best flavor, and there’s something rewarding about using a peppermill and adjusting the grind size.
- Dried Basil
- Onion Powder
- Garlic Powder
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations
- Turn up the heat. Add red pepper flakes for a hint of heat in your sauce!
- Make it smooth. For a completely smooth sauce, use an immersion blender. Do this after the sauce has finished cooking to remove any chunks. Add some extra-virgin olive oil for a bit of added depth!
- Mix up your herbs. If you don’t have all of the herbs called for in this recipe, try using an Italian herb blend. You could also swap in fresh garlic cloves instead of the garlic powder for a bit of added boldness.
How to Use
- Besides putting this on your favorite pepperoni pizza recipe, you could use this sauce as a dipping sauce for your favorite stuffed cheesy bread or pretzel calzones!
- Make some individual english muffin pizzas for a quick kid-friendly lunch.
How to Make Pizza Sauce
Further details and measurements can be found in the recipe card below!
Step 1: In a small or medium saucepan, combine canned tomato sauce, tomato paste, oregano, basil, onion powder, garlic powder and sugar. Add half the salt ( ½ teaspoon).
Step 2: Gradually bring to a boil over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat as low as possible and simmer, covered, for 5-10 minutes.
Stir with a flat wooden spatula, scraping the bottom to prevent sticking.
Step 3: Taste and add additional salt, a few grinds of black pepper. Continue to cook, covered, for 5 minutes. Taste and make final adjustments to salt.
If the sauce tastes too acidic, you can add 1 additional tablespoon of sugar to balance it. The amount of acidity may vary depending on the brand of canned tomatoes.
Step 4: Your pizza sauce is now ready to use!
Chef Lindsey’s Recipe Tip
If you over salt, you can add more sugar or (better) more tomato paste, but if you have the ingredients, you can simply add another batch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! will keep for up to 3 months. I double the recipe and freeze it in ¾ cup portions. This is enough to make 2 medium pizzas per portion, which is perfect for my family! The sauce will remain safe to eat after this time, but the flavor will begin to fade. Thaw in the fridge overnight or gently defrost in the microwave.
Store leftover pizza sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.
Pizza sauce is thicker and often only briefly simmered. Pasta sauce, like my 15 minute pasta sauce or red wine pasta sauce, typically simmers longer and may include fresh herbs or wine for depth. Pizza sauce usually clings to pizza so it is often too thick to serve on pasta.
If you tried this recipe and loved it please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below. I love hearing from you; your comments make my day!
Pizza Sauce
Ingredients
- 15 ounces canned tomato sauce
- ⅓ cup tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt more to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a small or medium saucepan, combine canned tomato sauce, tomato paste, oregano, basil, onion powder, garlic powder and sugar. Add half the salt ( ½ teaspoon).
- Gradually bring to a boil over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat as low as possible and simmer, covered, for 5-10 minutes.
- Taste and add additional salt, a few grinds of black pepper. Continue to cook, covered, for 5 minutes. Taste and make final adjustments to salt.
- Your pizza sauce is now ready to use!
Notes
Nutrition
Before You Go
I hope you enjoyed this professional chef tested recipe. Check out our other delicious, chef-developed sauce recipes!
