Pizza has to be my favorite food of all time. Sometimes I eat it two night in a row. And I’ve been known to eat it cold from the refrigerator for breakfast. And to me, what makes a pizza is its sauce. I prefer a pizza with red sauce (as opposed to a white pizza), and love when the sauce is rich and tomatoey, slightly sweet, and full of garlic and herb flavor. Lucky for me, I have the perfect recipe for this! And best of all, you only need about 10 minutes to make it.
Why is homemade pizza sauce better than store-bought?
Sure, you can buy pizza sauce at the store. But making it is so much better. Here’s why:
It’s cheaper. This recipe makes enough sauce for 3-4 full size pizzas (freeze or can the rest of it!) and costs only about $3 to make the whole thing!It’s usually healthier. You control the ingredients going in, and many store-bought sauces have lots of added sugar.It’s yummier. Almost everything made from scratch is.
How to make it taste like it’s been simmering for hours
Usually, an excellent homemade tomato sauce (like this marinara recipe) simmers for a good, long while, which allows the flavors to develop more intensely. Slow cooking tomato sauce enhances the sweetness of the tomatoes and makes it taste richer, while at the same time thickening the sauce due to reduction. But sometimes, you just need things quick and easy. Here’s what makes this quick and easy pizza sauce taste so amazing:
How to make homemade pizza sauce
Just sauté the minced garlic and dried herbs in some olive oil (gently, for only about 1 minute). You don’t want to burn the garlic. Then, add some red wine and reduce for another minute or so. Finally, add crushed tomatoes and tomato paste, season with salt and pepper, and throw in a little sugar or honey if you want. That’s it! SO easy.
How to store it
I like to freeze my sauce divided into three or four 8-oz. mason jars which are the perfect size for a large pizza. If you’re into canning things, you can also can this sauce and keep it in your pantry (although I haven’t personally tried this). It will also stay good in your fridge for about a week in an airtight container. This is great if you just need a little at a time, like if you’re making english muffin pizzas for lunch. It’s also great as a dipping sauce for things like arancini or homemade calzones!
Recipes to use with homemade pizza sauce
Loving the from-scratch taste of this sauce? Try making homemade whole wheat pizza dough!Use the sauce on a large sheet pan pizza, perfect for the whole family,I love using this red sauce on Homemade Hawaiian Pizza, Buffalo Mushroom Naan Pizza and Sausage Breakfast Pizza.You can also use it as a thicker alternative to marinara sauce in stuffed portobello mushrooms or roasted eggplant parmesan stacks.
Check out all my homemade sauce recipes here. Did you make this quick and easy homemade pizza sauce recipe? Please click the stars below to comment and Rate this Recipe!
