There’s always been a debate about how to make the best pizza sauce for homemade pizza. In fact, the big question is this: do you really need to “make” a pizza sauce? Or, if you want an authentic Italian pizza, is there a better option?
My take is the latter. In this recipe I’m going to show you how to make the perfect pizza sauce at home without even cooking it. And you’ll realize how great Italian cuisine is. Just by combining a few ingredients, you get a delicious sauce on your pizza. And you’ll feel just as if you were in a real Italian pizzeria.
This recipe is the third of my 4-part How to make homemade pizza series (1. Making the pizza dough; 2. Shaping your pizza dough; 3. Pizza sauce and toppings; 4. Baking your pizza).
The Trick Of The Best Pizza Sauce
The trick to the best pizza sauce is that you really don’t have to worry about making a sauce. Just put the sauce ingredients on your pizza dough, and the sauce will form during the cooking process.
Don’t believe me? Try it for yourself, and taste the best homemade pizza you’ve ever had! This prosciutto pizza was made with this very sauce.
Homemade Pizza Sauce Ingredients
The secret lies in combining some of the best and simplest ingredients of Mediterranean cuisine. For this homemade pizza sauce, you’ll need:
- Tomato purée. This is called passata di pomodoro in Italian, and you can get it in larger supermarkets or order it online from Amazon. The thicker your tomato purée, the better your homemade pizza will turn out.
- Extra virgin olive oil. You just need a few drops, but it’ll make all the difference.
- Dried oregano. This is the spice you need to make your best pizza sauce.
- Fresh mozzarella. The key ingredient for your pizza sauce. It will melt together with the tomato, oregano, and olive oil, forming the unmistakable sauce you are looking for.
- Salt. A good pizza sauce needs a good pinch of salt.
Tips On The Ingredients
- Always use fresh mozzarella that comes in water. You can find shredded and other types, but that’s just not the same. The best authentic cheese for your pizza sauce is mozzarella di bufala (mozzarella made from water buffalo’s milk), but if you can’t find that, you can use cow’s milk mozzarella.
- Drain your mozzarella an hour before using it. Squeeze out the excess moisture with your hands, and leave the mozzarella balls in a strainer so they can release more water. This way you avoid ending up with a soggy pizza.
- Use 4 tablespoons (approx. 66 g) tomato purée for a regular pizza, or 2 tablespoons (approx. 33 g) for a small pizza.
- There is really no need to be more accurate than “a few drops” or “some” when it comes to the olive oil. It depends on your taste, and also on the toppings. If your toppings are moist, use less oil.
Pizza Sauce Recipe
To make this sauce, you simply put the ingredients on your shaped pizza dough. To get your pizza dough ready, check the previous step, How to shape pizza dough.
Now your homemade pizza is ready to be baked. Click on the link to see my tips on how to bake your pizza at home »
Buying Canned Pizza Sauce
If for any reason you still decide to buy canned pizza sauce (why would you?), here are a few tips:
- Check the ingredients list. Be sure you know what you’re putting on your pizza.
- You’ll still need to add mozzarella, and preferably oregano too.
Pizza Sauce
Ingredients
Ingredients for 1 regular size italian pizza
- 4 tbsp tomato purée passata di pomodoro
- olive oil extra virgin, a few drops
- 1 pinch oregano dried
- 1 pinch salt
- 4 ½ oz mozzarella 125 g, fresh
Instructions
- Spread the tomato purée over the pizza dough in a circular motion, leaving about 1 – 1½ inches around the edges.
- Drizzle with a little olive oil, then add the salt and dried oregano.
- Tear or thinly slice the mozzarella and spread it over the surface of the pizza dough.
- Finally, add your favorite toppings.
