Easy Homemade Pizza Sauce

Name: Easy Homemade Pizza Sauce
Prep time: 8 min
Cook time: 28 min
Total time: 36 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 3 medium cloves (10 g) garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced; 28 ounces (1 can) (794 g) crushed tomatoes, from one can, undrained; 1 teaspoon (1 g) dried oregano, crumbled between your fingers; 1 teaspoon (1 g) dried basil; ¾ teaspoon (4½ g) fine sea salt, plus more to taste; ½ teaspoon (2 g) granulated sugar, adjust to taste depending on tomato acidity; ¼ teaspoon (½ g) black pepper, freshly ground; ¼ teaspoon (½ g) crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A rich, savory pizza sauce made with crushed tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and dried herbs, simmered for 20 minutes on the stovetop. It's thick enough to spread without making the crust soggy, makes enough for about six pizzas, and is easy to freeze.

Prep: 8 min
Cook: 28 min
Wait: 10 min
Total: 46 min
Makes: About 3 cups (700 ml), enough for 6 12-inch (30 cm) pizzas at 1/2 cup (120 ml) each

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Steps

Before you start

Mince the garlic before you turn on the heat. Garlic burns quickly once it's in the oil.
Use a 28-ounce (794 g) can of crushed tomatoes, not tomato purée or diced tomatoes, for the right thickness.
Read the timing: the sauce simmers 20 minutes, then cools about 10 minutes before you use it.
You'll need about 1/2 cup (120 ml) of sauce per 12-inch (30 cm) pizza. This recipe makes about 3 cups (700 ml), or 6 pizzas' worth.

1
Warm the oil
- Set a 2-quart (2 L) heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat and add the olive oil.
- Let it warm for about 1 minute, until it shimmers and a piece of garlic dropped in sizzles gently.
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Ready when: Oil shimmers and a test piece of garlic sizzles softly without browning.
Tip: Keep the heat at medium-low. Hot oil will scorch the garlic in seconds.
2
Cook the garlic
- Add the minced garlic, and the red pepper flakes if using.
- Stir constantly for 30 to 45 seconds, until the garlic smells sweet and fragrant and looks pale gold at the edges.
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Ready when: Garlic is fragrant and pale golden, not brown.
Tip: If the garlic turns brown, it will taste bitter. Start over with fresh garlic and oil.
3
Add the tomatoes
- Pour in the crushed tomatoes right away to stop the garlic from cooking further.
- Scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any garlic bits, then stir well.
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Ready when: Tomatoes and oil are evenly combined with no garlic stuck to the pan.
4
Season the sauce
- Stir in the oregano, basil, salt, sugar, and black pepper.
- Raise the heat to medium and bring the sauce to a gentle bubble, stirring every minute or so, about 3 to 4 minutes.
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Ready when: Small bubbles break steadily across the surface.
Tip: Rub the dried herbs between your fingers as you add them to release more flavor.
5
Simmer to thicken
- Reduce the heat to low so the sauce barely bubbles.
- Partly cover the pan, or use a splatter screen, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring every 4 to 5 minutes and scraping the bottom so it doesn't stick.
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Ready when: A spoon dragged across the bottom leaves a trail that closes slowly, and the color has deepened from bright to deep red.
Tip: If the sauce spits heavily, lower the heat and cover slightly more.
6
Taste and adjust
- Take the pan off the heat.
- Taste the sauce and add another pinch of salt if it tastes flat, or another pinch of sugar if it tastes sharp.
- Stir and taste again.
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Ready when: Sauce tastes balanced: savory, slightly sweet, and not sharp.
Tip: The sauce will taste more seasoned on pizza with cheese, so keep adjustments light.
7
Cool before using
- Let the sauce cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, until warm but not hot.
- You should have about 3 cups (700 ml).
- Spread 1/2 cup (120 ml) on each 12-inch (30 cm) pizza once the sauce is cool or at room temperature, or transfer the rest to jars or containers for storage.
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Ready when: Sauce is warm to the touch and holds its shape on a spoon.
Tip: Hot sauce on raw dough makes it gummy and hard to slide off a peel.

Good to know

Tips

For a smoother sauce, blend it with an immersion blender for 10 to 15 seconds after simmering.
Don't over-sauce the pizza. About 1/2 cup (120 ml) per 12-inch (30 cm) pizza keeps the crust crisp.
Freeze the sauce in an ice cube tray for small portions for mini pizzas, English muffin pizzas, or dipping.
Canned tomatoes vary in acidity and salt, so always taste before the final seasoning.

Make ahead

Make the sauce up to 5 days ahead and keep it in the refrigerator. The flavor improves after a day. Bring it to room temperature or warm it gently before spreading.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: no more than 2 hours. Refrigerator: up to 5 days in an airtight container. Freezer: up to 3 months in 1/2-cup (120 ml) portions (about 6 portions) in freezer bags or containers. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then stir. Reheat gently in a saucepan over low heat if serving warm.

Substitutions

crushed tomatoes → whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand or pulsed in a blender. Use one 28-ounce (794 g) can with its juices. Simmer 5 minutes longer if the sauce looks loose.
dried basil → 1/4 cup (10 g) loosely packed fresh basil leaves, torn. Stir in off the heat at the end, since fresh basil loses flavor when cooked long.
granulated sugar → 1/2 teaspoon honey or maple syrup. Use it to balance acidity. Skip it entirely if your tomatoes taste sweet. Honey makes the sauce non-vegan.
garlic cloves → 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder. Stir it in with the other dried herbs instead of cooking it in the oil.