Homemade Pizza Sauce
The ultimate comfort food, Homemade Pizza Sauce is rich, flavorful, and incredibly easy to prepare. With fresh ingredients like tomatoes and garlic, this sauce is perfect for elevating your pizza night. Try it tonight for a taste of homemade goodness!
Equipment
- Wooden Spoon
- Chef's Knife
- Saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 screen Mesh splatter screen optional but nice to have
- ¼ cup Olive oil
- 4 cloves Garlic pressed or minced
- 128 ounce can Crushed tomatoes
- 8 leaves Fresh basil thinly sliced OR 1 ½ teaspoons dried basil
- ½ teaspoon Sugar (2g)
Instructions
- Start by heating olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Make sure the pot is large enough to avoid splatters, which can be quite common when you're making sauce. As the oil warms, it will start to shimmer, indicating that it’s ready for the next step.
- Add the garlic to the pot. You want to cook it until it turns golden and fragrant, which should take about thirty seconds to a minute. Be careful not to let it brown too much, as burnt garlic can give your sauce an unpleasant flavor.
- Next, carefully add the crushed tomatoes to the pot. Watch out for the sizzling and splattering! The oil will react to the tomatoes, so stir them gently into the mix. Add the sugar and basil at this stage as well.
- Stir everything together until it’s well combined. You want to bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. You can tell it’s simmering when small bubbles begin to appear on the surface — keep an eye on it!
- Allow the sauce to simmer uncovered for about twenty to thirty minutes, stirring occasionally. This will help the sauce thicken and develop its flavors. You’re looking for a consistency that’s thick enough to spread on your pizza but not too dry.
- As the sauce simmers, take the opportunity to taste it. Adjust the seasoning if necessary. You might want to add a bit more sugar if the sauce tastes too acidic or a pinch of salt to enhance the flavor.
- Once the sauce has thickened and reached your desired taste, remove it from heat. Let it cool slightly before using it on your pizza. If you're storing it, make sure to let it cool completely before putting it in the fridge or freezer.
- When ready to use, spread a generous amount of your Homemade Pizza Sauce over your prepared pizza dough. Top it with your favorite toppings and bake according to your dough recipe.
- Enjoy the deliciousness of homemade pizza with a sauce that you crafted yourself! It’s sure to impress your family and friends.
Notes
- Tip 1: If you’d like to use diced or whole tomatoes, pulse them in your food processor or with an immersion blender until they're mostly pureed with some small pieces of tomato still intact, like a not-too-chunky salsa.
- Tip 2: If your sauce is making a mess, you can turn the heat down slightly and add a couple minutes to the cooking time.
- Tip 3: You can use a mesh splatter screen to keep your stove clean.