Pizza Sauce
Tinned tomatoes, garlic, oregano and olive oil simmered for 15 minutes into a thick, no-fuss pizza sauce. Eight servings in 20 minutes.
The best pizza sauce is thick, because a wet one soaks into the dough and leaves it pale. Cooking the tomatoes down for 15 minutes gets rid of the excess water.
Crush the tomatoes by hand or with a fork, as a blender will make them thin and orange. Keep some texture so the sauce stays red and chunky.
Garlic and oregano go in with the oil. Add the oregano early, so its flavour spreads, and keep fresh basil for the end.
Simmer on a gentle heat, stirring now and then, until it is the consistency of thick porridge and a spoon leaves a trail. If your hob runs hot, check at 10 minutes. Cool it before spreading on the dough, since a hot sauce starts cooking the base before it reaches the oven. Spread only a thin layer on the base, about two spoonfuls for a 30 cm pizza, because too much makes the middle soggy.
Questions About Pizza Sauce
How long does Pizza Sauce take to make?
About 20 minutes in total — 5 minutes of preparation and 15 minutes of cooking. The recipe serves 8.
What are the key tips for making Pizza Sauce?
Cook it until thick. Crush the tomatoes by hand. If your hob runs hot, check at 10 minutes. Cool before spreading on dough.
What should I serve with Pizza Sauce?
Pizza bases; Flatbreads; Garlic bread; Calzones.
How should Pizza Sauce be stored?
Keeps in a jar in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Is Pizza Sauce suitable for a special diet?
This recipe is vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, low-carb and keto. Those labels are checked against the ingredient list, so a dish is only marked when nothing in it contradicts the claim.
The Method for Pizza Sauce
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Heat the oil with the garlic for 1 minute.
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Add the tomatoes, oregano, salt and sugar and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until thick.
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Tear in the basil and cool before using.
Worth Getting Right
- Cook it until thick.
- Crush the tomatoes by hand.
- If your hob runs hot, check at 10 minutes.
- Cool before spreading on dough.
If You're Missing Something
- An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.
- Fresh herbs work in place of the dried oregano at roughly three times the quantity — a teaspoon of dried is about a tablespoon of fresh, chopped.
What to Serve With It
Pizza bases · Flatbreads · Garlic bread · Calzones
Leftovers and Storage
Keeps in a jar in the fridge for up to 5 days.
The Numbers per Serving
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.
Reader Reviews
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Written and tested by Turab
One person, one kitchen — no test kitchen, no team. How every recipe on this site is checked before it goes up.
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