No Cook Pizza Sauce (with Crushed Tomatoes)

Jump to:

• Pasta sauce vs. pizza sauce
• Crushed tomato pizza sauce ingredients
• How to make crushed tomato pizza sauce
• Tips and tricks
• Make ahead and freezing tips
• Recipe

A basic pizza sauce that’s almost too good to be true

You’re going to want to skip the takeout after trying this easy and delicious No Cook Pizza Sauce. Made with pantry staple ingredients like crushed canned tomatoes, garlic, oil, salt, and oregano, this no-nonsense tomato sauce comes together in seconds while still packing in the flavor.

There are a lot of things I love about this easy pizza sauce recipe: it’s ready in seconds, the flavors are fresh and light, it’s flexible, and the flavors are better than any bottled pizza sauce I’ve ever tried! The secret is to use high-quality ingredients. Some nice canned crushed tomatoes and a quality extra virgin olive oil will make all the difference.

Whether you’re making pizza right away or preparing a batch of sauce along with your homemade pizza dough, this easy no cook pizza sauce can be stored away and even freezes so well!

Pasta sauce vs. pizza sauce

They’re both made with tomatoes and Italian seasonings, so why aren’t they the same? Because pasta sauce is cooked and pizza sauce isn’t! 

According to The Kitchn, pizza sauce (made with pureed tomatoes, salt, and maybe some seasonings) is left uncooked because the more basic the flavors, the more balanced your pizza will taste.

Slowly cooking tomatoes with herbs creates a deeper, more intricate flavored sauce, which is great for pasta since the tomato sauce is the star of the show. On pizza, however, a too-rich or sweet sauce can take away from the other toppings.

Crushed tomato pizza sauce ingredients

The 5 ingredients in this quick pizza sauce recipe are super simple, but that doesn’t mean you can skip out on the quality. Don’t fret: you can find quality versions of all of these ingredients while still sticking to a budget. 

Canned crushed tomatoes

Crushed tomatoes still have a bit of texture to them so you can enjoy a bit of fresh tomato flavor in your pizza. You can use any kind of quality canned tomatoes, but my favorites are DeLallo, Cento, and Bianco Di Napoli.

Extra virgin olive oil

This traditional unrefined Meditterenean oil will emulsify the sauce while helping it taste rich and smooth. I don’t recommend swapping it with any other type of oil because the flavors are so special.

The quality of the oil will make a huge difference in this sauce as well! A good extra virgin olive oil will have a golden-green color and a peppery, rich flavor.

Garlic

Whether it’s used in dips, quiche, or appetizers, fresh garlic always infuses rich and savory flavors! It’s a huge part of almost all Italian cooking and gives this sauce its signature savoriness.

You should grate the garlic using a Microplane so the flavors can distribute evenly and you don’t get any big, strong-tasting chunks. If you don’t have a Microplane/rasp grater, a garlic press should work well.

Salt

It’s necessary to round out all of the flavors and keep everything in balance. Feel free to add a pinch of cracked pepper too!

Dried oregano

There’s some flexibility here because basic homemade pizza sauce doesn’t always need herbs. I like dried oregano for the classic Italian flavors but you can always leave it out or replace it with fresh basil or parsley.

How to make crushed tomato pizza sauce

Trust me when I say that this easy pizza sauce is going to replace the jarred stuff in your cupboards. It’s so easy to make and ready in seconds:

Tips and tricks

Create the homemade pizza sauce of your dreams with these helpful recipe tips:

Play with the flavors

• Savory: Grate 1 or 2 extra garlic cloves into the sauce or replace the fresh garlic with roasted garlic instead. A little onion powder will help it taste more pronounced as well.
• Herby: Stir some chopped fresh basil and/or parsley along with the oregano.
• Spicy: Red pepper flakes or Calabrian chili paste will give it a nice kick.
• Cheesy: Some grated hard cheese, like Parmigiano Reggiano, Asiago, or Peccorini, will take this sauce from good to great!

How do you thicken pizza sauce without tomato paste?

I don’t recommend thickening pizza sauce with tomato paste because it will only intensify the sweetness and tomato flavor. If it’s too thin for your liking, try cooking the sauce over medium heat until it reduces slightly.

Use a blender

The only equipment you really need to make pizza sauce is a medium bowl and whisk. However, if you want to really have a smooth sauce, throw everything (except the oregano) in a blender and blend until smooth. Stir in the oregano after it’s done.

Let it chill

Uncooked pizza sauce is good to go as soon as it’s all stirred together. To intensify the flavors, leave the sauce to chill in the fridge for about 3 hours so all of the ingredients can mingle together.

Make ahead and freezing tips

If you aren’t making homemade pizza right away, the sauce will last for up to 5 days when kept in a sealed container in the fridge.

To freeze, divide the sauce into ice cube trays (these Souper Cubes were made for this!) and freeze for up to 6 months. When ready to use, defrost the amount you need in the fridge overnight or in the microwave using defrost settings.

Recipe