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Pizza Sauce
Published Feb. 6, 2024
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- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 20 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
- 2tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¼cup minced or grated yellow onion
- 1tablespoon minced or grated garlic (3 cloves)
- ⅛teaspoon crushed red pepper, plus more to taste
- ¼cup tomato paste
- 1(28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1teaspoon dried oregano or Italian seasoning
- 1teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
- Black pepper
Preparation
- Step 1
Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan set over medium-low. Add the onion, garlic and red pepper and cook, stirring often, until tender but not browned, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Step 2
Stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring often, until the paste darkens and colors the oil in the pan, about 1 minute. Add the crushed tomatoes, oregano, sugar, salt and black pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer over medium-high. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary, and cool before using.
Private Notes
Cooking Notes
There is no need to cook pizza sauce, especially if you don't have a 900-degree pizza oven that fires the pie in 90 seconds. The sauce will cook just fine in the oven, on the pizza. Here in Italy, we run a can of San Marzano tomatoes through a food mill and add some salt. Done, ready to ladle on the dough. To balance the acidity, skip the sugar; instead, add a pinch of baking soda, as every pizzeria in Italy does.
I'm a bit lost at the inclusion of the tomato paste and onion. If you are unsatisfied with the flavor of your tomatoes, try better tomatoes. The onion will make this sauce too sweet imo.
Spread your dough out, drizzle on some olive oil & spread around, dollop on about 4 big tablespoons of the cheapest tomato sauce you can buy & spread around, sprinkle on salt, pepper, parsley flakes, oregano, & basil. Voila! The best pizza sauce! Seriously!
As others have said, this recipe is largely unnecessary. Muti pureed tomatoes (in bottles) will have a far superior flavor and texture to anything you're going to create from canned crushed tomatoes. I'm guessing it costs more. It's for those who want the best ingredients, & best flavor Saute a few crushed garlic cloves in olive oil (no need to chop, slice, or mince), add the Muti, salt, pepper, & perhaps a tiny bit of sugar. It doesn't need anything else, and it can't get better.
I really enjoyed this sauce. I dialed back the sugar and salt by at least half, and doubled the crushed red pepper. Really nice flavor and good consistency for pizza. Appreciated that it was easy to make, with good results. Also used diced tomatoes since that was what was on hand, and crushed them with the potato masher after the simmer.
Perfect basic recipe that you can make with products you’re already likely to have in your pantry. Well balanced flavors.
This is my starter recipe, easy and delish. Depending on your palate you can skip the sugar and add a teaspoon of anchovy paste. I hate anchovies but the taste dissolves into the tomatoes and adds a great umami depth. Also, fresh oregano if you have some and the time to pick the leaves from the stems. But the recipe as written is great.
Pizza sauce does not need to be cooked. Lose the olive oil, onion, tomato paste, and definitely the sugar. And add a teaspoon of red wine vinegar and you'll have a great sauce to use with your pizzas.
Can this be frozen? My kiddo loves dipping everything in “manna nara” sauce but I hate buying the premade pizza sauce with all the additives.
I doubled the recipe - used an entire can of tomato paste, 1 can diced tomatoes and 1 can tomato sauce. Used herbs de Provence. Super yummy!
I used tomato sauce since I didn’t have any crushed tomatoes and it worked pretty good.
I made a cooked sauce like this for years - even after working in a pizzeria. But, i ultimately came to the realization that an uncooked sauce is far preferable. It simply tastes brighter and less acidic on the pizza. The trick is to use good whole canned tomatoes (taste them - ideally from a coated can), and to remove as much moisture as possible from them. Then crush by hand, or puree in a blender. Dried spices are fine for pizza, except fresh basil, which is essential.
If you want the sauce to be sweeter try a little good balsamic vinegar instead of sugar. Anchovys or the paste never seems to hurt and can replace salt. Never tried baking soda but...
0y. If you use spicy Italian sausage or hot sopressata then the sauce needs a smidge of sugar and is delicious. Also I use as much sauce as possible without making it soggy. It’s why I eat pizza. Don’t skimp!
Pizza sauce recipe: Open a can of San Marzano tomatoes Pour contents of the can into a mixing bowl Crush the tomatoes with your fingers
A lot of folks are saying you don’t need to precook pizza sauce and all you need to do is add salt to the tomatoes. That’s all fine and well for ovens (partially wood fired or Oonia) that exceed 800-900 degrees F. It’s also the more-traditional method for Italian-style pizza. But for the vast majority of home cooks, whose ovens top out at 500, it’s really better to precook it. I make a sauce similar to this, with the addition of butter and an onion sliced in half, which I simmer for an hour.
Excellent. I used a whole can of tomato paste, we were happy with that and I added a bit of brown sugar. Will definitely make again.
If using canned San Marzano tomatoes, which are sweeter than most other canned tomatoes, leave out the sugar.
My grandson and I are in love He thinks this is the best pizza he will ever have
To jar, 1) Pour 4 cups boiling water into 1 quart glass jar 2) Close and shake jar 3) let sit for 2 minutes upside 4) flip upside down (make sure well sealed) and let sit for another 1 minute 5) pour sauce into jar 6) save in fridge for up to ~10 days
Instead of sugar, add half an apple, cored, as the last ingredient and remove it when the sauce is ready. It helps reduce acidity and you won't detect the aftertaste of sugar.
Please add a teaspoon or two of anchovy paste and use the whole can of tomato paste for Pete's sake.
As others have said, this recipe is largely unnecessary. Muti pureed tomatoes (in bottles) will have a far superior flavor and texture to anything you're going to create from canned crushed tomatoes. I'm guessing it costs more. It's for those who want the best ingredients, & best flavor Saute a few crushed garlic cloves in olive oil (no need to chop, slice, or mince), add the Muti, salt, pepper, & perhaps a tiny bit of sugar. It doesn't need anything else, and it can't get better.
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