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    Homemade Pizza Sauce Recipe

    Published February 3, 2021. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

    This homemade pizza sauce recipe is the real authentic Italian way to make it and is beyond easy to make with only 3 ingredients.

    We absolutely love Italian food and are always trying new recipes, and if you’re looking to check out a few new ones, then for sure try my Gnudi or arancini.

    jar of homemade pizza sauce


     

    Pizza Sauce

    Traditional pizza sauce in Italy is incredibly easy to make.  It consists of few ingredients with a few variations should you chose to use them.  For some reason in western culture, pizza sauce is loaded down with ingredients and tomato paste, but this is not the real way to do it.  When keeping it simple, it is much more delicious.  Here are the basic ingredients:

    • Whole Tomatoes (Fresh or Canned and preferably from the San Marzano region of Italy)
    • Fresh Basil
    • Salt

    How’s it Different from Spaghetti Sauce

    The main difference between pizza sauce and spaghetti sauce are the ingredients.  Most spaghetti sauce recipes have some sort of meat in it and are loaded up with ingredients such as onions, garlic, herbs, vinegars, etc.  A pizza sauce is much simpler in preparation and in ingredients.

    How to Make It

    Follow along with these simple instructions for how to make this pizza sauce recipe:

    Add the tomatoes to a food processor, blender, or food mill and pulse until smooth but still with some chunks.

    adding tomatoes to a food processor

    Mix in fresh basil and sea salt until combined.

    mixing fresh basil with diced tomatoes

    Make-Ahead and Storage

    Make-Ahead: You can make this recipe up to 2 days ahead of time.

    How to Store: Cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 6 days.  Cover and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day before using.

    Chef Billy Parisi

    chef notes + tips

    • Having limited access to fresh san Marzano tomatoes in the states, I prefer to use canned.
    • If you want to use fresh Roma tomatoes or whole peeled canned tomatoes add a little sugar to them so that they can match the flavor of San Marzano tomatoes.
    basil and pizza sauce in a jar

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    Let's Cook - Chef Billy Parisi

    Homemade Pizza Sauce Recipe

    5 from 5 votes
    This homemade pizza sauce recipe is the real authentic Italian way to make it and is beyond easy to make with only 3 ingredients.
    Servings: 12
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 0 minutes

    Ingredients 

    • 28 ounce can San Marzano tomatoes
    • 8-10 roughly chiffonade fresh basil leaves
    • 1 teaspoon sea salt

    Instructions

    • Add the tomatoes to a food processor and pulse on high about 20 to 25 times. The tomatoes should be smoother but still with some chunks. If you do not have a food processor you can use a blender or a food mill.
    • Mix in the basil and salt and serve.

    Notes

    Chef Notes:
    • Make-Ahead: You can make this recipe up to 2 days ahead of time.
     
    • How to Store: Cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 6 days. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day before using.
     
    • Having limited access to fresh san Marzano tomatoes in the states, I prefer to use canned.
     
    • If you want to use fresh Roma tomatoes or whole peeled canned tomatoes add a little sugar to them so that they can match the flavor of San Marzano tomatoes.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 21kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 281mgPotassium: 195mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 156IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 23mgIron: 1mg
    Course: sauces
    Cuisine: Italian