Homemade Pizza Sauce is a rich, herb-packed sauce made with pantry staples and ready in just minutes. This Tomato Sauce Recipe for Pizza skips the jarred sauces and delivers bold tomato flavor, fragrant herbs, and the perfect base for homemade pizza night.
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If you’re taking the time to make homemade pizza, there’s one thing you absolutely should not skip: the sauce. While jarred pizza sauce may be convenient, nothing compares to the flavor of a fresh homemade version made right in your own kitchen.
While living in Italy, I had the best pizza of my life in Naples — the birthplace of pizza itself. It was a simple margherita pizza, but the flavors were unforgettable. The crust was perfect, the cheese was fresh, and the sauce tasted vibrant, rich, and unbelievably balanced.
I quickly realized that amazing homemade pizza simply could not rely on store-bought sauce. The sauce needed to taste fresh, herbaceous, and intensely tomato-forward without being overly sweet or heavy.
Many homemade pizza sauce recipes either rely heavily on canned tomato sauce or require long simmering times, but this version delivers bold flavor quickly and easily by layering several different spices and focusing on fresh tomato flavor.
Another unique detail is the use of tomato paste combined with olive oil and water instead of plain tomato sauce. This creates a richer and more concentrated flavor while helping the sauce cling perfectly to the pizza dough without making it soggy.
Why Make this Recipe
- Superior to Jarred Sauce: This homemade version tastes fresher, brighter, and more balanced than most store-bought pizza sauces.
- Comes Together in Minutes: There’s no long simmering process required, simply mix the ingredients together and the sauce is ready to use.
- Pantry Staples: Most of the ingredients are dried herbs and tomato paste, making this an easy recipe to whip up anytime pizza cravings strike.
Key Ingredients for Homemade Pizza Sauce
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.
- Tomato Paste: Tomato paste creates a rich and concentrated tomato flavor that forms the base of the sauce. Mixing it with water and olive oil creates a smooth consistency with deeper flavor than plain tomato sauce alone. If needed, canned tomato sauce can work in a pinch, though the final sauce will be thinner and slightly less rich.
- Olive Oil: Olive oil adds richness and helps create a smoother texture while balancing the acidity of the tomatoes. A good-quality olive oil can make a noticeable difference in flavor.
- Rosemary: Rosemary adds a slightly earthy, piney flavor that makes the sauce taste more complex and aromatic. Fresh rosemary works beautifully, but dried rosemary is convenient and still flavorful.
- Sage: Sage brings warmth and depth to the sauce without overpowering the tomato flavor. Rubbed sage blends especially well into the sauce, though fresh sage can also be used if finely chopped.
- Marjoram: Marjoram has a flavor similar to oregano but milder and slightly sweeter. It gives the sauce a classic Italian herb flavor while keeping it balanced and subtle. You can substitute with oregano if needed.
Recipe Variations
- Add crushed red pepper flakes for a spicy pizza sauce.
- Stir in minced garlic for extra savory flavor.
- Use fresh basil for a brighter, more traditional margherita-style sauce.
- Add a small pinch of sugar if you prefer a slightly sweeter sauce.
- Mix in grated parmesan cheese for extra richness.
How to Make this Recipe
Step 1: Add the tomato paste, water, olive oil, and herbs to a small bowl.
Step 2: Whisk until the sauce becomes smooth and evenly combined.
Expert Tips
- If using fresh herbs, make sure to finely chop them before adding them to the sauce so they distribute evenly. While I do love fresh herbs, I prefer dried for this recipe specifically.
- If the sauce seems too thick, add water one tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency. Tomato paste creates a thicker, richer sauce than tomato sauce, which helps prevent soggy pizza crust.
- Allow the sauce to sit for a few minutes before using so the dried herbs have time to hydrate and release their flavor.
- For extra authentic flavor, pair this sauce with fresh mozzarella and basil on homemade pizza dough.
Recipe FAQs
Homemade Pasta Sauce and this Easy Pasta Sauce Recipe are made using very similar ingredients! And they actually can be used almost interchangeably.
The main difference between the two is that pasta sauce is made with cooked tomato sauce, while pizza sauce is made with uncooked tomato paste.
As aforementioned, pizza sauce and pasta sauce aren’t much different from one another. If you have extra pizza sauce you need to use up, you can mix it with some extra pasta and have a delicious dinner! You could also use it for this Pizza Dip.
Absolutely! If you want to freeze your pizza sauce, store it in an airtight container and place in the freezer. It should last in the freezer for up to a year.
To thaw, move the pizza sauce to the fridge a few days before you need it. You can also take the pizza sauce out of the freezer the day of use and thaw in cold water.
Make sure to keep the sauce in an airtight container in the fridge. If you do this, the sauce should last for about 7 days after opening.
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Homemade Pizza Sauce
Ingredients
- 6 oz tomato paste
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 ½ tsp oregano
- ¾ tsp rosemary
- ½ tsp sage
- ¼ tsp marjoram
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
- Whisk 6 oz tomato paste, 1 cup water, and ¼ cup olive oil together in a small bowl until fully combined.
- Add 1 ½ tsp oregano, ¾ tsp rosemary, ½ tsp sage, ¼ tsp marjoram, and ¼ tsp salt into the mixture and whisk again until evenly dispersed. Then assemble with the pizza as necessary and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Tomato Paste: Tomato paste creates a rich and concentrated tomato flavor that forms the base of the sauce. Mixing it with water and olive oil creates a smooth consistency with deeper flavor than plain tomato sauce alone. If needed, canned tomato sauce can work in a pinch, though the final sauce will be thinner and slightly less rich.
- Olive Oil: Olive oil adds richness and helps create a smoother texture while balancing the acidity of the tomatoes. A good-quality olive oil can make a noticeable difference in flavor.
- Rosemary: Rosemary adds a slightly earthy, piney flavor that makes the sauce taste more complex and aromatic. Fresh rosemary works beautifully, but dried rosemary is convenient and still flavorful.
- Sage: Sage brings warmth and depth to the sauce without overpowering the tomato flavor. Rubbed sage blends especially well into the sauce, though fresh sage can also be used if finely chopped.
- Marjoram: Marjoram has a flavor similar to oregano but milder and slightly sweeter. It gives the sauce a classic Italian herb flavor while keeping it balanced and subtle. You can substitute with oregano if needed.
- If using fresh herbs, make sure to finely chop them before adding them to the sauce so they distribute evenly. While I do love fresh herbs, I prefer dried for this recipe specifically.
- If the sauce seems too thick, add water one tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency. Tomato paste creates a thicker, richer sauce than tomato sauce, which helps prevent soggy pizza crust.
- Allow the sauce to sit for a few minutes before using so the dried herbs have time to hydrate and release their flavor.
- For extra authentic flavor, pair this sauce with fresh mozzarella and basil on homemade pizza dough.
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