Learn How to Make Pizza Sauce and pizza like a pro. Whether it's smooth or chunky, Chef Tom helps you go beyond the store brand to create a sauce that is flavored to your taste. As a bonus Chef Tom also covers some helpful tips on knife work, demonstrating the chiffonade technique in order to get the most flavor out of your herbs.
WHAT YOU'LL LOVE
- Two techniques, one recipe. Building both a hand-crushed chunky version and a blended smooth version from the same base means you can pick your texture depending on the pizza you're making, without needing two different recipes.
- Fresh herbs get minced, not just torn. Finely mincing the basil and oregano rather than tearing them by hand distributes their flavor more evenly through the sauce instead of leaving concentrated pockets.
- A slow simmer does the real flavor-building. Letting the sauce gently reduce for about 20 minutes over low heat concentrates the tomato flavor and lets the garlic and herbs fully infuse, rather than tasting raw and thin.
- Tasting and adjusting happens at the very end. Checking the seasoning only after the sauce has finished simmering means you're adjusting the final concentrated flavor, not guessing at how it'll taste once reduced.
How to Make Pizza Sauce
Tom Jackson
Rated 5.0 stars by 3 users
Category
Condiment
Cuisine
Italian
Servings
4
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Calories
113
Make your next pizza night extraordinary as you learn to craft your own homemade pizza sauce, just like a pro! With the help of Chef Tom, learn to make a sauce that will wow your guests with your own unique flavor.
Ingredients
-
1 (28 oz) can Ciao San Marzano Whole Tomatoes
-
2 cloves garlic, crushed, peeled
-
2 tbsp fresh basil, minced
-
1 tbsp fresh oregano leaves, minced
-
1 tbsp sugar
-
1 tsp Jacobsen Kosher Sea Salt
-
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Directions
Chunky Sauce
Pour tomatoes into a medium sized mixing bowl. Crush tomatoes by hand. Mince the garlic and add to the tomatoes. Add the minced herbs, sugar and Jacobsen Kosher Sea Salt.
Smooth Sauce:
Combine all ingredients (except extra virgin olive oil) in the pitcher of the Vitamix Blender. Blend until smooth
Cooking both styles:
Heat a Lodge 6 qt Enameled Dutch Oven over medium heat. Add the extra virgin olive oil, then add the tomato sauce. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce the heat to low and let gently simmer to your desired consistency, about 20 minutes.
Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
What's the difference between the chunky and smooth versions?
The chunky version is made by hand-crushing the tomatoes, keeping some texture, while the smooth version blends everything in a Vitamix until fully pureed. Both use the same ingredients and go through the same simmering step afterward.
Why mince the basil and oregano instead of tearing them?
Finely mincing fresh herbs releases more of their oils into the sauce, spreading their flavor evenly rather than leaving concentrated bits of leaf here and there.
Why simmer the sauce for about 20 minutes?
A slow simmer reduces the liquid and concentrates the tomato flavor, while also giving the garlic and herbs time to fully infuse. Skipping this step leaves the sauce tasting thin and raw.
Why taste and adjust seasoning at the end instead of at the start?
Simmering changes the sauce's concentration, so seasoning it before it reduces can lead to over- or under-salting. Tasting once it's finished gives you an accurate read on the final flavor.
Can I use this sauce for something besides pizza?
Yes — it works well as a base for pasta or as a dipping sauce, since it's a fairly classic simmered tomato sauce beyond just its pizza application.
How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
5 out of 5 — this is entirely a stovetop recipe using a dutch oven and either a bowl or blender, no grill or smoker involved at any point.
Recipe Highlights
Two parallel prep methods: Offering both a hand-crushed and a blended version from the same ingredient list means the texture is a choice, not a fixed outcome.
Fine mincing of fresh herbs: Mincing rather than tearing basil and oregano releases more of their flavor evenly throughout the sauce.
The 20-minute simmer: Reducing the sauce slowly over low heat is what concentrates the tomato flavor and fully develops the garlic and herbs.
Seasoning after reduction: Adjusting salt and seasoning only once the sauce has finished cooking accounts for how much the flavor concentrates during the simmer.
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Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 4
- per serving
- Calories
- 113
- Fat
- 7 grams
- Saturated Fat
- 1 grams
- Cholesterol
- milligrams
- Sodium
- 478 milligrams
- Carbs
- 12 grams
- Fiber
- 3 grams
- Sugar
- 8 grams
- Protein
- 2 grams
