Once you try this homemade pizza sauce recipe, you won't go back to the pre-made type. With just 5 simple ingredients, it's fresh & full of flavor!
Once you’ve made homemade pizza dough, what do you make next? Homemade pizza sauce, of course! Yesterday, I wrote about how making pizza dough from scratch is easier than it seems, and luckily, making pizza sauce is even simpler than that. Made with 5 pantry ingredients, this pizza sauce recipe is more cost-effective than using store bought tomato sauce, and it tastes ten times as good. Aside from baking it on the pizza, I don’t cook this sauce, so it retains a lovely tomato flavor that makes any homemade pizza feel fresh and light.
We’ve loved this sauce with all sorts of summery toppings this season. I hope you enjoy it too!
Homemade Pizza Sauce Recipe Ingredients
My easy homemade pizza sauce recipe calls for 5 basic ingredients, most (or all) of which you likely have in your pantry! Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- Canned whole peeled tomatoes. Because this recipe is so simple, I recommend seeking out good quality canned tomatoes. If you can find them, choose San Marzano tomatoes, which are especially sweet with a touch of mild acidity.
- Extra-virgin olive oil. A few teaspoons give the sauce a little richness, so it’s not too watery.
- And garlic, sea salt, and olive oil. They round out this sauce, giving it a full, robust flavor.
That’s it!
How to Make Pizza Sauce
This pizza sauce recipe is quick and easy to make. Once you’ve assembled your ingredients, all you need to do is plop them in a food processor and blend until smooth!
Rather than cooking this sauce on the stove, I dollop it straight on to the pizza from there. It’s thick enough that it doesn’t need to simmer down on the stove. Baking it in the oven cooks it just the right amount, and it keeps a delightful, fresh tomato flavor.
Once you’ve spread the sauce on your pizza, top it however you’d like! I’m a fan of pairing it with fresh basil leaves, tomatoes, mozzarella, and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes to make a Margherita pizza, but feel free to play with different toppings. Sautéed spinach, olives, mushrooms, or roasted red peppers would all taste great with it.
Love this homemade pizza sauce recipe?
Top it onto homemade pizza, and then check out some of my other favorite sauces like pesto, chipotle sauce, or cilantro lime dressing!
Pizza Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes (San Marzano, preferably)*
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 small garlic cloves
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions
- Place the tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, salt, and oregano in a food processor and blend until combined.
- Spread ½ heaping cup of the pizza sauce onto the dough, top with desired toppings, and bake for 10 to12 minutes in a 500°F oven, or until the crust is browned.
- Makes enough sauce for about 4 pizzas. Store any extra sauce in the fridge or freezer.
Notes
Can you make this sauce ahead of time and store in the fridge until ready to use?
Hi Jenna, yes, definitely! It freezes well too.
I’ve been making my own pizza – ever since finding love and lemons 😉 why buy when this is so much better. I’ve made this pizza sauce several times, however last night was the first time I strained the liquid from the can of tomatoes before adding to the food processor. BIG difference and will do this every time going forward – it no longer held any excess liquid on top of the pizza and cooked perfectly. I also didn’t waste the drained liquid, I added it to a batch of classic tomato soup.
Highly recommend this step in Jeanine’s *note.
Hi Lainey, great to know straining made such a difference for you! So glad you love the sauce.
Do you grease your pizza pan or stone before putting the dough on?
Hi Cass, nope, it’s not necessary. The dough won’t stick to the preheated stone, and if you try greasing a pan, you’ll have harder time stretching the dough to the edges without it springing back.
Can you use this as a pasta sauce also or do you have a recipe for it?
Hi Carl, this one is just for pizza (because it cooks while the pizza bakes), but check out this post for a few delicious versions of tomato pasta sauce: https://www.loveandlemons.com/creamy-pasta-pomodoro/
Why use canned tomatoes while you could use fresh ones?
you can use fresh ones if you like – this is my simple go-to pantry pizza sauce that I use year round.
I love how simple this is! I always imagined pizza sauce having to simmer down. Thanks for sharing!
Yep, it cooks as you bake the pizza! It’s not a heavy tomato-past-y sauce, it’s light like a Margherita pizza sauce which is what I prefer.