Homemade Pizza Sauce, Sugar Free

This is the easiest way to make a homemade pizza sauce. 

If you’ve been around Spinach Tiger for any length of time, you know I am Italian and I don’t like store bought sauce. It’s almost just as easy to make your own and it won’t contain preservatives, soy bean oil, corn oil or sugar. Sugar and should NOT be in any tomato sauce. The right tomatoes have their own sweetness. The wrong tomatoes can be bitter or a waste of money. Read your labels if you do buy store-bought sauce. 

What is the difference between pizza sauce and tomato sauce?

Pizza sauce usually is a little more flavored with herbs like oregano or basil. Eating a lot of pizza in Italy, the biggest difference I see in America is that here, sauce is too strongly flavored, too acidic and too heavy. Avoid that. This sauce recipe is easy, light and sweet and doesn’t overpower your toppings. 

How much pizza sauce should you put on a pizza?

I’m glad you asked this question. Think of pizza sauce as more of condiment that a layered ingredient. If you have watched pizza makers apply sauce, they put a small amount and move a spoon in a circle, not covering the entire pizza. Too much sauce makes pizza heavy and soggy. 

My EASY Homemade Pizza Sauce

• San Marzano Tomatoes
• Olive Oil
• Garlic 
• Basil or Oregano
• Salt and Pepper

I start every tomato sauce with San Marzano tomatoes. Be careful when you purchase San Marzano tomatoes, as many cans will say San Marzano style. They won’t be the same. 

The tomatoes should be plump, juicy and sweet, and when you crush them with your hands  have almost no pulp left. The Cento brand, found just about everywhere including Costco and Trader Joes, is my preferred brand, but there are a few others I like. I don’t recommend brands with the store name such as the Whole Foods brand, as they end up being mostly pulp and are either tasteless and or bitter.

Freeze Portioned Homemade Pizza Sauce 

Any left over pizza sauce can be frozen in small containers or ziplock bags. Let the tomatoes cook on the stove, seasoned with salt and pepper and a handful of basil of you have it. A dash of oregano is good too for a pizza sauce. Defrost in refrigerator overnight or leave on counter for 30 minutes until defrosted. You can put cold sauce on pizza before you put it in the oven or you can choose to heat it up. 

Homemade Pizza Sauce in Fifteen Minutes

I have literally made this sauce in 15 minutes. Start your sauce pan with a little olive oil, a clove or two of garlic, which you will remove as soon as it turns golden. Add in your tomatoes, crushing with your hands, and include the juice. One large can will make enough sauce for a few pizzas. You will not need to add any water.  

Once heated and cooked for a bit, use an immersion blender  (a stick blender) to blend it smooth. If you don’t have a stick blender, the sauce will still be good.  An immersion blender comes in handy for tomato sauce and soups. 

Taste for seasoning. That’s it. It really is that simple and the sauce should be thick enough, as we don’t add any water to the pan.

I have also included a recipe for my sausage crusted pizza with peppers. If you are avoiding grains or eating low carb you must try it.

More Italian Recipes from Spinach Tiger

Authentic Tomato Sauce from My Italian Grandmother

Papparadelle with Chunky Tomato Sauce

Italian Slow Cooked Pork Chops in Tomato Sauce

Homemade Gnocchi Tomato Onion Butter Sauce

Sheet Pan Pizza with Trader Joe’s Pizza Dough 

Keto Sausage Crusted Pizza Three Cheese Pizza

Print Recipe

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Homemade PIzza Sauce

Easy homemade pizza sauce made with San Marzano Tomatoes made in as little as 15 minutes.

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Course: Pizza

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: basil, Italian sausage, pizza sauce

Servings: 2 cups

Equipment

• Parchment Paper
• cast iron griddle

Ingredients

Pizza Sauce

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 can San Marzano Tomatoes chopped with juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh oregano or basil or dried Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt or more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper or more to taste

Instructions

Make Pizza Sauce

• Add olive oil to saucepan.
• Add garlic. Fry for one minute but be careful not to burn. If burn, thrown all out, start over.
• Using your hands, squeeze tomatoes into sauce pan. Include juice.
• Add tomatoes, salt, pepper, fresh herbs in whole form to later be removed.
• Cook on low while making the pizza crust. This doesn't take long.
• Use a stick blender to blend smoothly if desired.
• Season sauce with oregano or basil.

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