Can homemade pizza sauce be frozen?

Yes! This sauce freezes very well. Let it cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 4 months without losing flavor. Defrost overnight in the fridge or in a small saucepan over low heat. We recommend freezing sauce in 1/2 or 1 cup portions so you can defrost just what you need!

How long does this sauce last, and how should I store it?

Pizza sauce lasts up to 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge and up to 4 months in the freezer. (You can freeze it longer if you like, but we find that the flavor is best within 4 months).

What's the difference between homemade and store-bought pizza sauce?

Store-bought spaghetti sauce and marinara sauce are often made with pasta in mind, so they typically aren't as thick as a good pizza sauce should be. We like making pizza sauce from scratch so we can control the thickness and flavor!

What kind of tomatoes should I use?

Pizza sauce is VERY forgiving - you can use just about any tomatoes you like! If you're using canned tomatoes , we like using a smooth variety like tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes. You can use canned whole or diced tomatoes if you don't mind a more textured sauce. You can also use fresh tomatoes here! Roma tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, and San Marzano tomatoes are our favorite varieties for sauces since they have very concentrated flavor. For extra oomph, you can roast your fresh garden tomatoes before adding them to this sauce! We recommend steaming and peeling your fresh tomatoes before adding them to the sauce OR running the final sauce through a food mill to remove any peels.

Quick and Easy Pizza Sauce

Name: Quick and Easy Pizza Sauce
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: Italian-American
Ingredients: 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil; 1 clove garlic, minced; 1/4 of a large yellow onion, diced (about 1/4 cup); 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper; 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano; 1 teaspoon dried basil; 1 can (15.5 ounces) plain tomato sauce; kosher salt to taste; 1/2 teaspoon honey or sugar (optional), to cut the acidity of the tomatoes if needed

Description

This easy homemade pizza sauce is quick to make with a few pantry staples!

Ingredients

Scale

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 of a large yellow onion, diced (about 1/4 cup)
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 can (15.5 ounces) plain tomato sauce
kosher salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon honey or sugar (optional), to cut the acidity of the tomatoes if needed

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Instructions

Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add garlic and onion and sauté, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent, about 3 minutes.
Add pepper, oregano, basil, and a pinch of salt to saucepan and stir to combine.
Add tomato sauce to pan and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently, for 8-10 minutes or until sauce is thickened. Taste sauce and add salt and honey or sugar to taste.
Use immediately or let sauce cool completely and transfer to an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.

Notes

Cook your sauce until it's quite thick for best results. We want to cook off as much excess water as possible so the sauce doesn't make our pizza crust soggy! Good pizza sauce should be thick - almost like the consistency of tomato paste.

Taste your sauce and adjust as you go! Tomatoes can vary in acidity and sweetness. When the sauce is almost done, give it a taste. If the flavors don't quite "pop" yet, add a pinch of salt. If the sauce is too acidic, add 1/2 teaspoon of honey or sugar to cut the acidity.

How much sauce should I use? We recommend using between 1/2 cup and 1 cup of sauce per pizza, depending on the size. Spoon sauce onto your pizza dough a bit at a time and spread it gently over the dough until you have a thin layer of sauce across the whole surface, leaving about 1/2 inch of space around the edges for the crust.

Additions and Substitutions. For a spicier sauce, add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes. Use 1/2 teaspoon onion powder and 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder in place of the fresh onion and garlic if you like, or omit them altogether if you have an allium sensitivity. If you omit the onion and garlic, you may want to add extra herbs to round out the sauce. Use any variety of canned tomatoes you like here: we typically grab tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, or diced tomatoes. Replace the canned tomatoes with fresh tomatoes if you like! We recommend using about 1 pound of tomatoes for each 15.5 ounce can of tomato sauce, and steaming and peeling your fresh tomatoes before adding them to the sauce OR running the final sauce through a food mill to remove any peels.

If you'd like a smoother sauce, let the pizza sauce cool and then blend it in a blender or food processor until smooth. We don't typically blend our sauce; the onion and garlic cook down quite a bit so you don't notice too much texture here.

How to store pizza sauce. Let sauce cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the fridge (up to 5 days) or freezer (up to 4 months without losing flavor).

Serve with our 15 Minute Pizza Dough and your favorite toppings for an easy homemade pizza night, or try our favorite Skillet Deep Dish Pizza!