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Home » Gluten Free

Homemade Pizza Sauce From Scratch - Ready in 5 Min

Modified: May 3, 2024 · Published: May 16, 2021 · by Ramona

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If you ever ask kids what they want for dinner 8/10 chances are that you get pizza as an answer and truthfully it is okay and fun to get a high street pizza once in a while. It is expensive but most importantly it is not the healthiest pizza option either. This is why this pizza sauce is a must-make.

Homemade pizza sauce in a jar and in serving dish with herbs and garlic scattered around

Knowing how to make homemade pizza from scratch is essential to enjoy a good pizza every time we fancy it - it cuts the costs, it is healthier and we can customize the pizza toppings as we wish and fancy. You can keep it super simple, you can make your pizza a vegan, a vegetarian, or a meat feast one.

Pizza toppings are important but for me the pizza sauce it's what makes it a yummy or a not-so-yummy pizza. It is as simple as that. The sauce acidity balance it's very important - if it's too sour or too sweet - no, thanks! Yes, I am fussy when it comes to homemade pizzas and pizza in general.

Jump to:
  • Ingredients you will need to make pizza sauce
  • How to make authentic Italian pizza sauce
  • Variations
  • The difference between pizza and pasta sauce?
  • Tips
  • Recipe FAQs
  • Recipes you may like to use this pizza sauce for
  • Pair this tomato sauce with
  • Homemade Pizza Sauce From Scratch - ready in 5 min
  • Cook's Extra Notes

This is the thing. I've been making this sauce for a very long time and sometimes we add some weird things to it ( Sriracha sauce, cajun powder, chopped lovage) but the base it's always the same. Nothing really beats an authentic Italian homemade pizza sauce recipe or that sauce made with fresh tomatoes, mmmm! I will come to this a bit later on.

Ingredients you will need to make pizza sauce

  • dry mixed Italian herbs
  • fresh herbs ( thyme, parsley, bay leaf, flat-leaf parsley, basil and chives)
  • chilli flakes
  • shallot ( I like adding some but you can leave this out)
  • fresh garlic
  • tomato sauce (you can use blended chopped tomatoes too)
  • tomato paste
  • seasoning (salt and pepper to taste)
  • olive oil (optional)
Homemade pizza sauce ingredients

How to make authentic Italian pizza sauce

Step 1

  • Add oil to a pan, place this on fire, and add the finely chopped shallot as well as the garlic

Step 2

  • Add the tomato paste, tomato sauce, mixed dry herbs, bay leaves, and chili flakes.
Homemade pizza sauce in a pan ready to be cooked with the onion, garlic and herbs sprinkled over

Step 3

  • Cook for 5 minutes to blend in the flavors and to reduce the sauce

Step 4

  • Use as desired in your desired dish or of course spread a good layer on your favorite pizza recipe
Cooked Homemade pizza sauce in a pan after being reduced down

Variations

  • The uncooked homemade pizza sauce version

It takes 5 minutes or even less once you have gathered all the ingredients

This pizza sauce recipe will be the uncooked version but I will tell you all about the cooked pizza sauce recipe here too. Not a biggie, still super easy, quick, and absolutely delicious. See the recipe card for details.

  • Homemade pizza sauce with fresh tomatoes

Like I said earlier, nothing beats a homemade pizza sauce made from scratch. Especially when made with fresh tomatoes harvested from your garden.

You will need to grate these, add them to a pan, add the desired seasoning, and cook it a little - only 10 minutes or so until the bubbles are beginning to sound like little puffs.

The difference between pizza and pasta sauce?

This is a common dilemma and a question I often get asked. Here are some distinctions between the two

  • Pasta sauce needs higher water content - This is why I don't recommend using jar sauce when making homemade pizza, you could end up with a bit of a mess!
  • Pizza sauce is and needs to be thicker -  Pizza sauce contains tomato paste, which makes it smoother and spread evenly and a lot easier!
  • Pizza sauce has more flavor -  we like to add a lot more spices in our pizza sauce than we do in our spaghetti sauce for instance.

Tips

This super-easy homemade pizza sauce recipe makes enough sauce for two medium pizzas or one super large pizza!

Recipe FAQs

Can I use pasta sauce for pizza?

Yes, you can, if you don't have any tomato paste on hand, you certainly can use pasta sauce on pizza but you will need to do the following:
strain the pasta sauce to remove excess liquid and then add the pasta sauce to a food processor or blender and pulse until it becomes smooth. Add your desired seasoning and salt to taste.

Or, you can pulse the pasta sauce in a blender, transfer this to a pan, and reduce it for 5 minutes on medium fire until it becomes a thick and water-free paste which can then be spread nicely on a homemade pizza base.

Can you freeze leftover pizza sauce?

Yes, you certainly can! You can freeze pizza sauce without much loss in quality or taste. Freezing is the best way to keep and store the sauce for up to 2.5 months. When you need it, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight and use it the next day.

Is marinara sauce OK for pizza?

Yes, it is and I confess that I have used it in the past. In fact, the marinara sauce can be used for so many other dishes like pasta, and pizza, or as a dipping sauce as opposed to a pizza sauce that can only be used for pizza. The taste of marinara sauce can be too complex to use as a pizza sauce for some. I do not mind it at all.

How do you thicken pizza sauce?

Well, I know that some people add cornstarch or cornflour to it. I personally like to either strain it or cook it for 5-7 min to reduce and therefore thicken the pizza sauce.

Recipes you may like to use this pizza sauce for

  • Pizza on ciabatta bread
  • Pizza biscuits by Pillsbury
  • Breakfast pizza slices with quail eggs
  • Dough-free pizza
  • Potato base pizza in one pan

Pair this tomato sauce with

  • Homemade pizza on brown parchment paper without a slice
    Healthy Homemade Pizza
    Cook Time1 Hours 25 Minutes
  • Chicken with garlic, vegetable tomato sauce and polenta
    Chicken With Garlic, Vegetable Tomato Sauce And Polenta
    Cook Time50 Minutes
  • Skillet chicken and olive pesto sauce bake
    Skillet Chicken And Olive Pesto Sauce Bake
    Cook Time50 Minutes
  • Quick breakfast pizza slices with quail eggs and tomato sauce
    Quick Breakfast Pizza Slices With Quail Eggs And A Special Tomato Sauce
    Cook Time50 Minutes
Homemade pizza sauce in a jar and in serving dish with herbs and garlic scattered around

Homemade Pizza Sauce From Scratch - ready in 5 min

Anyone loves a good old pizza, right? Here is a sauce that can be made in a jiffy and you only need a few ingredients like shallots, herbs, garlic and of course tomato sauce.
5 from 37 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Sauces
Cuisine: Italian, Ramona's Cuisine
Prep Time: 3 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes
Total Time: 8 minutes minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 20kcal
Author: Ramona Sebastian
Cost: £3

Equipment

  • pot
  • wooden spoon
  • jar with lid
  • can opener (optional)

Ingredients

  • 300 g tomato sauce I use organic Passata
  • 100 tomato paste
  • 1 clove garlic fresh or garlic powder
  • 1 pinch celery salt
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup Use coconut sugar for Paleo - or skip
  • ¼ tablespoon mixed Italian herbs
  • ¼ tablespoon oregano
  • bay leaves fresh or dry
  • 1 medium shallot or 1 teaspoon onion powder

Instructions

  • Mix the tomato paste and tomato sauce together in a medium-sized bowl until well combined (incorporate and mix all tomato paste lumps into the sauce)
  • Add the rest of the ingredients (oregano, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, garlic salt, pepper and maple syrup if you use to use) and mix really well!
  • It is now ready to use in your favourite pizza recipe! Delicious!

Notes

• Use a coloured spatula or a wooden spoon to mix this - a white spatula will no longer be white after making this sauce 😉 
• Use fresh garlic only if you use all the sauce, otherwise use garlic powder 

Nutrition

Calories: 20kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 241mg | Potassium: 215mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 287IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @ramonas.cuisine or tag #ramonascuisine!
Pizza sauce in a white dish with a teaspoon in and thyme sprinkled over
Cooked pizza sauce result

Cook's Extra Notes

How to To store pizza sauce

  • Refrigerated: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. The sauce will become thicker once refrigerated, so before using, make sure to let it come to room temperature or gently warm it in the microwave before using! It will be easier to handle it too.
  • Freeze. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for 2-2.5 months.

Ingredient Substitutions

  • Tomato Sauce. If you run out of tomato sauce can, bottle or jar do not worry at all, just use a can of diced tomatoes that can be blended quickly or tossed in a blender to turn into the sauce you need! You can also use fresh blended tomatoes as well but these will have a lot more juice and will need other draining or cooked slightly - see recipe for the cooked version above
  • Oregano or the Italian seasoning -  I always have dried spices, but if I do run out, just using fresh ones will be great too.
  • Celery salt - If you don't keep or you are allergic to celery, use garlic salt or just regular pink Himalayan or kosher salt.
  • Maple syrup - You can use coconut sugar or honey instead or even granulated sugar. You may also skip this altogether. I have also used dates sweetener or date syrup in the past roo.  

Other Recipes:

  • Chicken liver pate in a terracotta color dish topped with cooled butter, peppercorns and fresh herbs.
    Easy Chicken Liver Parfait (ready in 25 min)
  • Cucumber roll slices on white plates with mixed sesame seeds sprinkled on top.
    Cucumber Rolls
  • Yoghurt mint sauce in a green serving bowl and spices sprinkled over.
    Yogurt Mint Sauce
  • Roasted red bell pepper sauce on a wooden board.
    Roasted Red Bell Pepper Sauce

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Brianna says

    July 03, 2021 at 10:41 pm

    5 stars
    I had no idea pizza sauce was this easy to make! Never buying jarred sauce again.

    Reply
  2. Amy Casey says

    May 23, 2021 at 12:09 pm

    5 stars
    There is just no comparison to homemade pizza sauce. My family loved this tomatoey sauce on our Friday night pizza. The touch of maple syrup added just the right bit of sweetness.

    Reply
  3. Sandhya Ramakrishnan says

    May 21, 2021 at 5:39 pm

    5 stars
    There is nothing more comforting than making our own pizza sauce at home. The flavors are just the best and the store bought ones don't come close. Love all the tips and excited for my summer tomatoes to make my batch!

    Reply
  4. Linda says

    May 21, 2021 at 5:30 pm

    5 stars
    Ahmazing! Look at the vibrant color and how fresh this one looks. Can't wait to have a pizza party with this sauce...or maybe calzone...or pasta!

    Reply
  5. Cathleen says

    May 21, 2021 at 2:09 pm

    5 stars
    I just made some pizza last night, and I am kinda sad that I didn't see this before then! Bookmarked to make this weekend, thanks so much for the recipe 🙂

    Reply
  6. Tristin says

    May 20, 2021 at 11:16 pm

    5 stars
    Yep, this sauce recipe is going to be happening! We love pizza and this fresh sauce is ready so fast.

    Reply
  7. Elizabeth says

    May 20, 2021 at 10:10 pm

    5 stars
    This pizza sauce is insanely quick to throw together and SO delicious. Won’t be buying the canned stuff ever again!

    Reply
  8. Julia Zhu says

    May 20, 2021 at 1:18 pm

    This was so quick and great when we want to make pizza on the fly at home!

    Reply
  9. Farrukh Aziz says

    May 20, 2021 at 1:51 am

    5 stars
    This is the best homemade pizza sauce recipe for pizza! The sauce was perfect for our family weeknight dinner!

    Reply
  10. Oscar says

    May 19, 2021 at 8:14 pm

    5 stars
    This was amazing, definitely going to be using this pizza sauce everytime I make pizza.

    Reply
  11. GUNJAN C Dudani says

    May 19, 2021 at 3:16 pm

    5 stars
    I love to make sauces at home and this recipe is totally my style. I have all the ingredients and I am putting it together right now 🙂

    Reply
  12. Allyssa says

    May 19, 2021 at 6:29 am

    5 stars
    Thanks a lot for sharing this homemade pizza sauce from scratch! It's really easy to make and so happy because I can use scratch! It taste really good too and very easy to make!

    Reply
  13. Silvia says

    May 18, 2021 at 11:08 pm

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious! I agree, if you are making pizza from scratch, pizza sauce from scratch is the way to go. Easy and fast.

    Reply
  14. Alexandra says

    May 18, 2021 at 9:34 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious - this pizza sauce is so good (and homemade is so much better).
    Our family love pizza night, and this sauce will be our go-to recipe from now on. We will make a double batch next time to keep some in the freezer.

    Reply
  15. Kristina says

    May 18, 2021 at 8:42 pm

    5 stars
    My kids love this pizza sauce on flatbread and regular pizza dough. It’s a winner!

    Reply
5 from 37 votes (23 ratings without comment)

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Hey, I'm Ramona and I ♥ making healthy living easy and more delicious!! I am a full-time mother, I work and I am also a busy volunteer.

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