I don’t know about your family, but mine absolutely loves pizza. In fact, we could eat pizza every night without getting bored. And even some of my neighbors obsess over this homemade pizza sauce. Paired with perfectly baked homemade pizza dough and your favorite toppings makes for an incredible homemade pizza experience. And because we adore pizza so much, I usually make a huge batch of the sauce and freeze it in pizza-amount packages. The sauce is the soul of the pizza. And while I like experimenting with different crusts and pizza toppings, the perfect sauce is a must. Back to pizza! The secret to the bold flavor in the best homemade pizza sauce is slow cooking it ahead to let the flavors bloom and meld. Trust me, it’s worth the extra step. 😋 The rich, tomatoey goodness and herby flavors layer without one overpowering each other. It just makes for such a delicious pizza pie! 🤩
Recipe Ingredients
How to Make Homemade Pizza Sauce
Saute Garlic -In a medium saucepan, add the olive oil and garlic and cook over medium heat for about a minute or until fragrant. (Photo 1) Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, onion powder, sugar, Italian seasoning, basil, and pepper flakes to the pan. Stir well to combine. Next, add salt and some freshly ground black pepper to taste. (Photo 2) Simmer – Bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer. It should take 20-30 minutes to reach the desired thickness and depth of flavor, but that can change depending on your stove, altitude, and climate. (Photo 3) Use or Store – Let it cool and store it for later, or whip up your favorite pizza dough recipe and spread the sauce on it. (Photo 4)
Recipe Variations
Tips and Tricks
Make-Ahead Instructions
You can store homemade pizza sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for about a week, which makes it an ideal make-ahead recipe. And the flavor is better the next day. You can even freeze it for 2-3 months. Simply spoon the sauce into ice cube trays (or any mold) and freeze it. Thaw the sauce in the fridge overnight when you’re ready to use it. Alternatively, microwave frozen sauce cubes for about 30 seconds until they melt into a spreadable sauce.
Serving and Storage Instructions
Spread this sauce over homemade pizza dough, cover it with your favorite toppings, and bake for a crazy good pizza that will blow delivery pizza out of the water! Refrigerate the extra pizza sauce in an airtight container for up to a week.
How to Use Homemade Pizza Sauce
Besides pizza, this sauce works fantastic in pizza rolls and chicken calzones. But feel free to get creative, too! You can use this sauce in tomato-based soups, over pasta, or to flavor rice! (Just replace one cup of water with a cup of the sauce in your rice recipe.) It’s also delicious as a dip for grilled bread or homemade focaccia bread.
More Mouthwatering Homemade Sauces to Try
Watch How to Make It
This blog post was originally published in October 2019 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video
