Welcome to the easiest pizza sauce recipe you’ll ever encounter – Dad’s 10-minute wonder! This versatile sauce is not just perfect for crafting the ultimate homemade pizza experience, but it also shines as a delightful dipping companion for crispy mozzarella sticks or even a base for quick pasta dishes. The secret? You don’t actually cook this pizza sauce because, in a technical sense, the key ingredient has already undergone a gentle cooking process. All you need to create this culinary magic are a reliable blender and, most importantly, the right type of tomatoes.
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Pizza Sauce vs. Marinara: Unraveling the Delicious Difference
There’s a common misconception that pizza sauce and marinara sauce are one and the same, but for any true pizza aficionado, the distinction is clear and crucial. Marinara is typically a simpler tomato sauce, cooked relatively quickly to allow its flavors to meld and deepen. This sets it apart from a “spaghetti sauce,” which traditionally simmers for much longer, often incorporating rich meats like meatballs and sausage, developing a complex, slow-cooked character.
However, authentic pizza sauce tells a different story. At its heart, real pizza sauce is primarily about showcasing the pure, vibrant taste of quality tomatoes, enhanced with just a few carefully chosen spices. Crucially, it’s not traditionally cooked in the same manner as marinara, and Dad is here to explain why. The foundation of an exceptional pizza sauce truly begins and ends with the tomatoes themselves. Just as in my recipe for Italian Nana’s “Sauce with Meat”, I exclusively use San Marzano tomatoes. These tomatoes are the gold standard for Italian cooking, known for their sweet, balanced flavor and low acidity, which contributes immensely to the overall brightness of the sauce. For a more detailed exploration into why these specific tomatoes are indispensable, especially for rich, authentic Italian flavors, you can dive into my Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce with Meatballs and Sausage recipe.
The “No-Cook” Secret: Why Pizza Sauce Doesn’t Need a Stove Top Simmer
The concept of “no-cook” pizza sauce often raises eyebrows, but it’s simpler and more logical than it sounds. The vast majority of people making homemade pizza sauce utilize canned, peeled plum tomatoes – and the smart ones, like me, reach for San Marzano tomatoes. The canning process itself involves steaming these beautiful tomatoes to effortlessly remove their skins. This steaming is, by definition, a form of cooking. So, when you open a can of high-quality peeled plum tomatoes, you’re already starting with a product that has been “technically cooked.”
The primary reason for *not* simmering your pizza sauce further, unlike a marinara, boils down to texture and flavor. Simmering tomatoes extensively breaks down their structure, resulting in a much looser, thinner sauce. For pizza, you desire a sauce with a bit of body – something that clings to the dough, offers a pleasant, slightly chunky bite, and doesn’t make your crust soggy. A thin, watery sauce would simply run off the pizza and lead to a less satisfying experience.
Beyond texture, the second crucial factor is flavor. By keeping the sauce “uncooked” post-canning, you preserve the natural, bright, and vibrant flavor of the tomato, bringing it as close to a fresh-picked taste as possible. Simmering, while beneficial for developing depth in other sauces, tends to mute and alter this fresh, zesty profile. It deepens the flavor, yes, but changes it from what is ideal for a classic pizza. My Italian grandfather, who worked in a bustling pizza shop during his youth, would have certainly given me a disapproving look – perhaps even a gentle slap on the back of the head – if he caught me trying to cook my pizza sauce. He understood that the best pizza sauce celebrates the tomato in its most vivid, uncooked form. While many people successfully use marinara as their pizza base, and that’s perfectly acceptable, for an authentic, bright, New York-style or Neapolitan-inspired pizza, preserving that fresh tomato essence is key. This “no-cook” method ensures that every bite of your homemade pizza bursts with the pure, unadulterated taste of sun-ripened tomatoes.
Mastering the Quantity: What to Do When You’ve Made a Ton of Pizza Sauce!
You might notice that this recipe yields a generous amount of pizza sauce, and there’s a good reason for that: it’s incredibly challenging to find small cans of truly high-quality San Marzano Italian peeled plum tomatoes. For achieving that authentic, superior flavor, using the real deal is absolutely paramount. But fear not, Dad always has a plan for delightful leftovers and efficient meal prep! Here’s how to manage your abundant supply of this fantastic homemade pizza sauce:
- Immediate Gratification: Make Pizza on Day One. The most obvious and enjoyable way to use your freshly made sauce is to whip up some incredible homemade pizzas right away. Experience the ultimate freshness and flavor firsthand!
- Transform it into a Quick Meat Sauce the Next Day. Don’t let the sauce sit idly. On the second day, you can easily transform a portion of your pizza sauce into a delicious, quick spaghetti with meat sauce. Simply brown some ground beef or Italian sausage, drain the fat, add a generous amount of your pizza sauce, and let it simmer gently for about 15-20 minutes. A dash of red wine, a bay leaf, and perhaps some sautéed onions and garlic can elevate it further. This quick conversion allows you to enjoy a completely different, yet equally satisfying, meal with minimal effort.
- Freeze it Flat for Future Convenience. For any remaining sauce, freezing is your best friend. Ladle portions into sturdy freezer-safe ziplock bags. The key here is to lay the bags flat on a baking sheet in your freezer until the sauce is solid. Once frozen flat, they stack beautifully, saving precious freezer space. This method also makes it incredibly easy to use smaller quantities. When you crave a dipping sauce for homemade mozzarella sticks made in your air fryer, or just need a dollop for a quick pasta dish, you can simply break off a chunk of the frozen sauce. There’s no need to defrost the entire bag. This way, you have fresh-tasting, homemade dipping sauce available precisely when you need it, on demand!
This approach ensures that none of your delicious, homemade pizza sauce goes to waste, providing you with flexible options for weeknight meals, spontaneous snacks, or future pizza parties!
How to Make Pizza Sauce
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Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- 1 Can San Marzano Italian Peeled Plum Tomatoes
- 1 Can Tomato Paste
- 1 tablespoon Salt
- 1 tablespoon Oregano
- 1 tablespoon Basil
- 1 tablespoon Garlic Powder
- 1 tablespoon Onion Powder
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a blender.
- Blend for about 20 seconds until semi chunky (will depend on your blender).
- Use to make the best pizza ever!
- Separate remainder into small freezer bags and freeze for later use.
Video
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?Mention @DadGotThis or tag #DadGotThis!Elevate Your Pizza Game: Making the Best Homemade Pizza
Now that you’ve mastered the art of crafting this incredible 10-minute pizza sauce, it’s time to put it to spectacular use! Be sure to check out my comprehensive recipe and video guide on “How to Make Pizza Using the Baking Steel.” This isn’t just another pizza recipe; it’s a deep dive into achieving pizzeria-quality crusts in your home oven, every single time.
I cannot overstate my affection for the Baking Steel. This remarkable piece of kitchen equipment will profoundly transform your homemade pizza-making journey. Unlike traditional pizza stones, the baking steel conducts heat much more efficiently and retains it for longer, creating an intensely hot surface that instantly crisps your dough, giving you that coveted crackling crust and perfectly cooked toppings. You might even recall a small, memorable incident involving a burst of fire in that video – rest assured, everything turned out perfectly, making it an engaging and genuinely educational watch!
Pizza holds a special place in our home; it’s my daughter’s absolute favorite food, which means I’m often found stretching dough and spreading this vibrant sauce. If you’re fortunate enough to live near a Publix, like I am, you’re in luck! They offer fresh pizza dough that is consistently excellent, saving you a step without compromising on quality. This convenience makes preparing an outstanding, super easy, and incredibly tasty homemade pizza a reality any day of the week. Combine that fresh dough with Dad’s 10-minute pizza sauce, and you’re well on your way to a culinary experience that will have everyone asking for more. Get ready to impress your family and friends with pizza that tastes like it came straight from a gourmet kitchen!