Pizza sauce at home
Authentic Homemade Italian Pizza Sauce Recipe | Fresh Tomato & Restaurant Quality
The secret to amazing homemade pizza isn't fancy equipment, it's a perfectly balanced sauce made from fresh tomatoes, aromatic garlic, and quality olive oil. This sauce has been tested 50+ times to ensure foolproof results.
Key Features of this recipe:
✓ Made with fresh tomatoes (no processed ingredients)
✓ Professional Italian technique (soffritto base)
✓ 90-minute low simmer for concentrated flavor
✓ Freezer-friendly (stores up to 12 days)
✓ Tested 50+ times for reliability
✓ Works perfectly for pizza and pasta
Why This Recipe is Different:
You'll
find countless pizza sauce recipes online, but this one uses the traditional soffritto (garlic, onion, celery base) that Italian chefs have perfected
over centuries. Fresh blanched tomatoes provide superior flavor. The 90-minute
low-heat cooking concentrates flavors naturally without burning.
Pizza are everyone's favorite and they are for all foodies and cooking enthusiast.
The taste of a Pizza largely depends on the sauce applied on it. A perfect sauce make a pizza taste yummy. You can easily make this yummy pizza sauce at home without any big effort. All the ingredients to make the sauce are readily available at your kitchen.
If you are looking for the best pizza sauce recipe, you have come to the right place. Here I bring you the step by step guide to make perfect Italian Pizza sauce recipe at home. You can even use this sauce to make some red sauce pastas.
Make this pizza sauce and store in freezer for upto 10 - 12 days in a air tight container to use whenever you like. With this sauce you can make many pasta dishes, here is red sauce pasta name list you can make at home.
Ingredients for pizza sauce
1. Fresh Tomatoes Preparation
- Fresh tomatoes: 2-3 kg
Choose ripe, red tomatoes with firm texture. Look for fragrant tomatoes with deep red color.
2. Aromatics (The Soffritto Base)
- 1 medium carrot (roughly chopped) Adds natural sweetness and helps balance acidity
- 1 large onion (roughly chopped), White or yellow onions work best. This is the flavor foundation
- 1/3 cup celery, finely chopped, Traditional Italian ingredient that completes the aromatic base
- 8-10 garlic cloves, chopped, Fresh garlic only. Adjust based on preference
3. Fresh Herbs
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, Crucial for authentic Italian flavor. Tear leaves by hand rather than cutting
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano, Use good-quality dried oregano, preferably Mediterranean origin
4. Flavor Building
- 1 tablespoon red chili flakes, Adjust based on heat preference
- 1 cup crushed tomato or tomato puree, Concentrates tomato flavor
5. Finishing Touches
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, Good-quality olive oil adds depth
- Salt to taste, Use kosher or sea salt
- Black pepper to taste, Freshly ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon sugar (optional), Balance acidity if tomatoes are too sour
Pro Tip:
Prep all ingredients before starting. This is called "mise en place" in professional cooking.
How to Freeze the Sauce
You can easily freeze this sauce in a air sealed container for 10 to 15 days. Before freezing the sauce, cool it down completely and then freeze.
How to blanch tomato for pizza sauce
It is important to blanch tomatoes in a professional way so that you can make a perfect pizza sauce. There are few things you need to do before blanching the tomatoes.
- First de-eyed the tomatoes using a sharp knife.
- Cut the tomatoes slightly on its tips using Cross method. This will help to remove the skin easily.
- Add them in boiling water for 30 - 40 seconds to blanch.
- Remove and cool down completely.
Steps to make pizza sauce
I am making little more sauce in one time and will refrigerated in a air tight jar for 6 - 7 days.
1. Blanch tomato for the sauce
First take the tomatoes , clean and de-eyed them using a knife and cut them using Cross method to it's tips slightly. See the photo below for that.
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After that remove the skin of the tomatoes from the tips where we cut it using Cross method.
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2. Pizza sauce making
Now heat olive oil in a pan or in a deep skillet depending on the amount of sauce you are making.
Add chopped garlic and saute for a while or till it get light brown. Add chopped onions, celery and roughly chopped carrots Saute for some time till the onions get tender and brown.
Add chopped garlic and saute for a while or till it get light brown. Add chopped onions, celery and roughly chopped carrots Saute for some time till the onions get tender and brown.
Add the blanched chopped tomatoes to the above mixture and continue stirring.Now add Pillow the Tomato, it is basically a hollow seedless semi boiled tomatoes comes ready-made from market in a Tin packed.
If you don't have the pillow the tomato, don't worry about that. You can skip and use tomato puree instead of it.
Pillow the Tomato can give you an extra authentic taste to your sauce and most of the sauce maker prefer it instead of tomato puree.Continue stirring the mixture for 5 - 6 minutes after mixing tomato puree.
Add salt, red chilly flakes and chopped fresh basil leave to the above mixture.Keep the mixture under slow flame for around 90 minutes to cook.
Stirring occasionally to prevent the sauce getting stuck at the bottom.
After the said time, check the seasoning of the sauce and remove cool down. The pizza sauce is ready to use and make your favorite pizza like classic Margherita pizza, veg pizza and pasta. If you love this recipe then you can read the recipe of homemade pizza base recipe as well.
Homemade Pizza Sauce
Published on July |
Updated on
★★★★★
(4.9 out of 5 from 25 ratings)
Make Italian pizza sauce at home from scratch with this easy pizza sauce recipe. Use them to make your favorite pasta recipes as well.
Ingredients
- Fresh tomatoes 2-3 kg
- 1 medium carrot( roughly chopped)
- 1 large onion (chopped)
- 1/3 cup celery chopped
- 8 - 10 garlic cloves chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1 tablespoon herbs preferably oregano
- 1 tablespoon chilly flakes
- 1 cup pillow the tomato or tomato puree
- Salt as required
- Extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- De-eyed the tomatoes and cut slightly on its tips using cross method.
- Blanched them in hot water for around 30 - 40 seconds. Remove and cool down completely.
- Peel the skin from the tip where we cut them using cross method.
- De seed the tomatoes and roughly chopped them.
- Heat oil in a deep vessel pan and saute the chopped garlic till light brown.
- Add the chopped onions, carrots and celery and saute till the onions become translucent and soft.
- Now add the blanched chopped tomatoes and stir nicely.
- Pour pillow the tomato or tomato puree and cook for 5 - 6 minutes.
- Add red chilly flakes, salt , oregano and chopped basil leaves. Mix well and let them cook on slow flame for about 90 minutes.
- Stir occasionally so that the sauce don't get burnt at the bottom.
- Remove the sauce and cool down.
- Apply the sauce to make pizza or pasta.
Chef's Notes
- Maximize Flavor Base with Soffritto: The recipe uses a soffritto base (onions, carrots, celery, and garlic). Ensure you sauté these ingredients, especially the onions, until they are very soft and translucent before adding the tomatoes. This process, often called "sweating," is crucial for releasing the natural sugars and creating a sweet, deep, and savory foundation that balances the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Do Not Rush the Simmer: The 90-minute slow simmer is the most important step for developing rich flavor and proper consistency. Reducing the sauce for this long allows the flavors to meld and deepen (umami development) and the sauce to thicken naturally. A rushed sauce will be too watery and taste primarily of raw tomato.
- Seasoning and Acidity Check: Wait to adjust the final seasoning (salt and pepper) until after the 90-minute reduction. As the sauce reduces, the salt will concentrate, so adding too much too early could result in an oversalted sauce. Additionally, if the sauce tastes too acidic, stir in a pinch of sugar (about ¼ to ½ teaspoon) to balance the flavor, though the carrots and long cook time should naturally sweeten it.
📊 Nutritional Value (Per Serving)
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 136 kcal |
| Protein | 5.6 g |
| Fat | 2.9 g |
| Carbohydrates | 22 g |
ℹ️ Additional Info
Course: Sauce | Cuisine: Italian | Method: Simmering
Recipe Variations
1. Quick 20-Minute Pizza Sauce
- Use 3 cans (28 oz each) San Marzano crushed tomatoes
- Skip blanching step
- Cook all ingredients for 20 minutes instead of 90
- Result: Fresh-tasting sauce, not quite as concentrated
2. Spicy Pizza Sauce
- Increase red chili flakes to 2 tablespoons
- Add 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Add red pepper flakes to oil before garlic
3. Meat Sauce (Bolognese-Style)
- Add 300g ground beef or Italian sausage after soffritto
- Brown meat before adding tomatoes
- Follow rest of recipe normally
4. Slow Cooker Method
- Prepare soffritto on stovetop (steps 1-3)
- Transfer to slow cooker with all ingredients
- Cook on LOW 4-6 hours or HIGH 2-3 hour
Troubleshooting Common Issues
1. Sauce too watery?
Cook 20-30 more minutes on low heat, stir often
2. Sauce too thick?
Add water 1 tablespoon at a time, reheat gently
3. Tastes too acidic/sour?
Add 1/2 teaspoon sugar, stir. Or add 1/4 teaspoon baking soda (will bubble!)
4. Burned taste?
Pour into clean pot, leave burned bits. Use lower heat next time.
5. Bland/no flavor?
Cook longer to concentrate. Add more oregano, basil, or garlic powder.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I use canned tomatoes instead of fresh?
A: Yes! Use 2-3 cans (28 oz) of San Marzano crushed tomatoes. Skip blanching step. Fresh tomatoes give brighter flavor, but canned works great especially in winter.
Q: How long can I freeze pizza sauce?
A: Up to 12-14 days in airtight container. Pro tip: Freeze in ice cube trays for easy portions.
Q: What's the difference between pizza sauce and marinara?
A: Pizza sauce is thicker and more concentrated. Marinara is thinner for pasta. Pizza sauce uses soffritto (garlic, onion, celery), marinara focuses on garlic and tomato.
Q: Is fresh basil essential?
A: Fresh is best, but use 1/3 amount of dried basil if needed (3-4 tablespoons). Add dried at beginning, fresh at end.
Q: How many pizzas does this make?
A: 500g sauce = 3-4 medium pizzas (12-inch). Enough for 2-3 thick crust or 4-5 thin crust pizzas.
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NICE TO MEET YOU!
I’m Mobasir Hassan, Executive Sous Chef with the Radisson Hotel Group. After years in hotel kitchens, I now share chef-tested recipes, step-by-step cooking techniques, and restaurant-style dishes that home cooks can recreate with confidence. I’m glad you’re here!
