Pizza Sauce

Mason jar filled with pizza sauce with a wooden spoon in the jar.

Make your own pizza sauce at home in 30 minutes with this simple recipe. It’s thick and rich and slightly sweet. The perfect base for all your pizza recipes.

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**This post has been updated since its orginal post date in 2012. Text, photos and recipe have been updated.

After trying this super simple recipe, you’ll never go back to store-bought pizza sauce again. Not only does it taste great, but it requires a small amount of ingredients, most of which you probably already have in your kitchen.

Plus, it’s super cheap to make and freezes well.

Mason jar filled with pizza sauce.

Ingredients for Pizza Sauce

  • Olive oil
  • Fresh garlic
  • Dried basil
  • Dried oregano
  • Dried thyme
  • Kosher salt
  • Tomato puree: It’s a little thicker than tomato sauce and has more texture which aids in the thickening of the sauce.
  • Brown sugar: Slightly sweetens the sauce. You can also use honey if you want.
Mason jar of pizza sauce with a small wooden spoon filled with sauce leaning on the edge.

How to Make Pizza Sauce

This sauce is super simple to make. Start by heating a large saucepan over medium heat.

Once the pan is hot, add the olive oil. Then saute the minced garlic and herbs for a few minutes, until softened and fragrant.

Add the tomato puree and brown sugar to the pan and whisk well. Drop the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring often. You can continue to cook for up to an hour if you prefer a really thick sauce.

Spread on your pizza crust or use for dipping.

Pizza crust in a cast iron skillet spread with pizza sauce.

Instructions for Freezing

This recipe makes enough sauce for about 3 pizzas so if you aren’t planning on using it all, let’s talk about how to freeze it.

Side note, it will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week if you want to go that route.

If you plan on freezing, first let the sauce cool to room temperature. Divide how you wish into ziplock freezer bags or freezer safe containers.

I like to use these containers when freezing sauces, soups and homemade ice cream. They are perfect in the freezer and are reusable. I use a dry erase marker to label the contents and date. The marker washes off so you can reuse again for another recipe.

Straight down shot of pizza sauce in a mason jar.

Recipes To Make With This Sauce

Mason jar filled with pizza sauce with a wooden spoon in the jar.
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5 from 1 vote

Pizza Sauce

Make your own delicious, rich pizza sauce at home with this simple recipe.
Prep Time5 minutes
Active Time30 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: pizza sauce
Yield: 3 cups
Author: Meghan Payne-Hensley

Ingredients

  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 large cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 28 ounce can tomato puree
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons brown sugar

Instructions

  • Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add olive oil to the hot pan. Add garlic, basil, oregano, thyme and salt. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant.
  • Stir in the tomato puree and brown sugar. Bring to a simmer then turn the heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. If you want a thicker sauce, you can simmer another 30 minutes.

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9 comments

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  3. […] 1/2 pizza dough recipe (make the full recipe and freeze half) 1/2 lb. ground Italian sausage, browned 1/2 cup chopped pepperoni 1 1/2 cups mozzarella, shredded Vegetable oil Dried basil, to taste Dried parsley, to taste Parmesan, to taste Pizza sauce […]

  4. […] ravioli, thawed if frozen 2 Tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish marinara or pizza sauce for […]

  5. […] made a fun dinner with these using a cleaned up version of our favorite pizza sauce (just replace the brown sugar with the same amount of honey and make sure there isn’t any […]

  6. […] mini bagels, split in half 8 Tbsp. pizza sauce 8 Tbsp. shredded mozzarella cheese mini pepperoni, or desired […]

  7. […] Nachos are the perfect party snack or movie night dinner. Pizza sauce is a huge go-to in our house and we always have a batch portioned out in the freezer so […]

  8. […] just as easy as the traditional version. You’ll start by preparing your favorite dough, pizza sauce and toppings. I always double the dough and sauce recipes and freeze half. Plus, we ALWAYS have […]

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