When you think of a delicious traditional pizza, what comes to mind? It might be a chewy crust, and a crispy bottom with a flavorful tomato sauce and gorgeously melted mozzarella cheese on top.
While all of these elements contribute to a great pizza, the sauce is what sets the pizza apart. A great pizza dough will not always result in the best pizza, but an incredible pizza sauce will always lead to a mouth full of goodness.
Pizza sauce gives the entire pie its unifying flavor and binds everything together. Although it takes some time and practice to make great pizza sauce, anyone can learn the technique with a little perseverance and practice.
Here’s a simple, incredibly quick homemade pizza sauce recipe that produces a gorgeous pizza with rich flavor and texture.
Why Make Your Own Pizza Sauce?
Making your own classic pizza sauce is far more flavorful, fresh, and delicious than purchasing it from a restaurant or grocery store. When you order a pizza from a restaurant, there is a chance the sauce will be too thin, flavorless, or even cold.
Homemade pizza sauce is undoubtedly superior to the sauce served at most restaurants. Making pizza sauce at home gives you complete control over the ingredients, which will ultimately make a big difference.
You shouldn’t have to settle for weak sauce. With our easy pizza sauce recipe, you can make the tastiest pizza you’ve ever had. And of course, making homemade pizza is much cheaper than ordering pizza delivery. One batch of this sauce will cover 3-4 pizza crusts, saving you a ton of money!
The Best Pizza Sauce Recipe
Our easy homemade pizza sauce recipe makes the ideal complement for layering all your favorite pizza toppings. Perfect for homemade pizza nights with your loved ones, this classic pizza sauce recipe is sure to impress.
Ingredients:
- 1 28oz can of Cento San Marzano tomatoes
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 yellow onion
- 1-3 cloves of garlic
- 1 tsp of basil
- 1/2 tsp of oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp sugar
- Pinch of crushed red pepper
Instructions:
- TOMATOES: Place the tomatoes in a large bowl and mash them with your hands, a pair of kitchen shears, or an immersion blender until they are chunky but not completely liquid.
- AROMATICS: Heat the olive oil, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, oregano, basil, and grated onions in a medium saucepan over medium heat. To prevent anything from burning or sticking, cook them for 3 to 4 minutes while stirring frequently. Cook for an additional 30 to 60 seconds after adding the garlic.
- SIMMER: Combine the salt, sugar, and tomatoes. Once that reaches a simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the sauce for 30 minutes. If necessary, taste and add more seasonings. You can let the sauce simmer for up to 15 more minutes if you prefer a sauce with a more intense tomato flavor. Pizza sauce can either be used right away or it can sit at room temperature before being put into containers.
Whether you’re using homemade pizza dough, store-bought dough, or pre-baked pizza crust, this homemade pizza sauce recipe will enhance the flavor of your pie.
Which Tomatoes are Best for Pizza Sauce?
The best tomatoes for pizza sauce are San Marzano tomatoes because they have a sweet flavor, little acidity, and a small amount of water and seeds.
These tomatoes are grown in the Italian region of San Marzano on hillsides with soil from Mount Vesuvius, but luckily you can find canned San Marzano tomatoes at your local grocery store.
Can You Use Tomato Paste for Pizza Sauce?
The best answer to this question is no. Tomato paste is made from tomatoes that have been cooked, strained, and then cooked once more to remove all the liquid. It is intended to be added to sauces and soups as a flavorful thickener.
So, you can incorporate it into your pizza sauce to give it a thicker texture but you shouldn’t spread it directly on the pizza dough.
How to Make the Best Pizza at Home
Follow these tips and tricks to make an incredible pizza in the comfort of your own home:
- Use homemade pizza dough
- Use HALO’s homemade pizza sauce recipe
- Use a pizza peel
- Cook your pizza at a high temperature
- Let the dough rise as much as possible
- Use a high-quality pizza oven
Do You Need an Outdoor Pizza Oven?
Now that you have the best homemade pizza sauce recipe, it’s time to use an outdoor pizza oven to further enhance your pizza experience. With just one bite, you can taste a significant difference between pizza cooked in a conventional oven and pizza cooked in a pizza oven.
Experience faster cooking times, crispier crust, unique flavor, and crispier toppings with your very own portable outdoor pizza oven. A pizza oven allows you to bring the cooking outdoors, giving you a lot more cooking flexibility than a conventional indoor oven.
There really is nothing better than biting into a hot, freshly baked pizza straight from your own outdoor pizza oven.
Shop the Best Pizza Oven from HALO
The Versa 16 portable outdoor pizza oven from HALO offers the most authentic, delectable flavor and can instantly enhance your outdoor cooking experience.
Perfect for the backyard, a tailgate, or on the go, our pizza oven will produce better quality pizza than any restaurant – at a much faster pace. With cutting-edge technology and a unique, patented design, you can concentrate more on the why of cooking rather than the how.
Whether you’re hosting a small family get-together in the backyard or a large pizza party, the Versa 16 is easy to use and offers a completely hands-free cook so you can relax with a glass of wine or a beer while your pizza oven does the work.
And the best part? In addition to pizza, you can cook a wide range of other dishes, such as roasted meats, vegetables, desserts, and much more!
Your own Versa 16 pizza oven combined with our homemade pizza sauce recipe will result in the most flavorful, delicious pizza you’ve ever had. Shop the Versa 16 Outdoor Pizza Oven today!