Homemade Pizza Sauce
Homemade Pizza Sauce: The Secret to Perfect Pizza Night
If you’ve ever had a slice of pizza and thought, “This sauce is what makes it great”? You’re not alone- The sauce can make or break a pizza. While it’s easy to grab a jar from the store, nothing beats the flavor of homemade pizza sauce. It’s so simple to make, and following this recipe will elevate your pizza to new heights and leave you wondering why you ever settled for store-bought.
Speaking of homemade- my herb pizza crust is a fantastic option for homemade pizza night if you want some nice flavor in your crust.
We recently bought an Ooni Pizza Oven and I’m having a blast making homemade pizza the last few months! Let me know if you want some pizza oven recipes! I’ve gone all out with sourdough crust and if there’s interest I can definitely do a tutorial on this. And lead me to fine tune and post this perfect homemade pizza sauce recipe!
I would be remiss if I didn’t throw in a Finnish fact here– Ooni is a Finnish company and ooni means “oven” in Finnish. (It’s acutally spelt uuni but they changed it to ooni so we English speakers would pronounce correctly.) So next time you say you’ll get out your “Ooni pizza oven”, you really just said, “oven pizza oven”.
If you’re new around here you should know that we lived in Finland for 5 years and I am not-so-secretely obsessed with all things Finland. If you want an introduction to Finnish cuisine, then you should try my 2 favorite Finnish recipes that I’ve brought home with me- Lohikeitto (Salmon soup) and Laskiaispulla (Finnish Shrove Buns).
Back to pizza sauce!
The secret to a perfect pizza sauce lies in its simplicity. This recipe combines just a handful of pantry staples, like tomato paste and tomato sauce, with classic Italian seasonings to create a well-balanced and savory sauce that complements any pizza topping. Unlike store-bought versions that can taste overly sweet or artificial, this sauce has an authentic, fresh tomato flavor, just the right amount of seasonings, and none of the unhealthy preservatives.
You can simmer it for just 15 minutes for a quick pizza night, or let it go low and slow for up to an hour to develop a deeper, more complex flavor. Either way, you’ll end up with a sauce that makes every pizza night feel like a special occasion.
TIP-
One of my favorite little tricks when making tomato-based sauces is a simple yet game-changing way to balance out the natural acidity of tomatoes. While adding sugar is a quick fix, it can leave the sauce tasting just a little too sweet for my liking. Instead, I love to toss in 3-4 whole baby carrots (or a few carrot sticks) while the sauce simmers!
As they cook, the carrots absorb some of the acidity, creating a much smoother, more balanced flavor without any added sweetness. Then you just take the carrots out and voilà! It’s a trick that works wonders in pizza sauce, or spaghetti sauce, or really any red sauce recipe. Your life (and your sauce) will be forever changed!
Ingredients You’ll Need
This pizza sauce recipe is super simple and uses common ingredients you likely already have on hand:
- Olive oil – for sautéing the onions and garlic, adding depth to the flavor.
- Onions and garlic – sautéed to bring out their natural sweetness and make the sauce even more aromatic.
- Tomato paste and tomato sauce – the base of the sauce, creating that rich, tomato-forward flavor we all love on pizza.
- Dried herbs – oregano, basil, garlic powder, and onion powder combine for that perfect Italian seasoning blend.
- Salt – to bring all the flavors together.
- Sugar (optional) – a pinch of sugar can balance the acidity of the tomatoes and round out the sauce’s flavor. Or use a few carrots instead.
Homemade Pizza Sauce
This homemade pizza sauce is a rich, savory blend of tomatoes and aromatic herbs, simmered to perfection for a smooth, flavorful base. With its perfect balance of seasonings, it’s the ideal base to any pizza.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20-30 minutes
- Total Time: 25-35 minutes
- Yield: about 3 cups of sauce 1x
Ingredients
2 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup onions, diced small *see note
4 cloves garlic, minced
1, 6 oz can tomato paste (use half a can if you want a slightly thinner sauce)
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt *see note
2 cans tomato sauce
½ teaspoon sugar, optional *see note and FAQ
Instructions
In a small bowl combine the oregano, basil, garlic and onion powders, and salt.
In a medium saucepan or skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat.
Once the oil is hot, add the onion and cook until the onion is starting to brown, about 6-8 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook an additional minute.
Add the tomato paste and spread it out over the bottom of the pan. Cook for 1 minute while stirring.
Sprinkle the seasoning mix over the paste and cook one more minute.
Pour in the tomato sauce and whisk to combine. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer at least 15 minutes or up to an hour. Add the sugar* after 15 minutes, if desired.
The longer you simmer, the better it will taste and thicker it will get.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. *see FAQ below for freezer instructions.
Notes
You can leave the onions out completely or replace with a few tablespoons of dried onions.
If you use normal sea or table salt, only use ½ the amount
Adding sugar helps make the acidity less “in-your-face”. *see FAQ below for more ways to decrease the acidity.
Keywords: pizza sauce, tomato sauce, homemade sauce, red sauce
Frequently Asked Questions – Homemade Pizza Sauce
