Look no further, you've found the simplest, most delicious, and super versatile homemade pizza sauce recipe! It freezes well, is great on pizzas, is perfect to dip into, and you can easily substitute the ingredients to use what you've got. #ShelfCookingWin
How do you fix a broken pizza? With tomato paste! (Pretty witty, eh?) We'll be here all week! 😉 But seriously, a little bit of tomato paste and tomato sauce can take a pizza the distance! However, it can get real expensive real quick when you're ordering take-out from the pizza joint in town. And those frozen pizzas? Fuhgeddaboudit!
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We are all about making our own homemade pizzas. You can easily customize them and they're crazy cheap to make! Our easy pizza sauce recipe is the perfect way to take those pies that extra mile, but it goes well with so. many. other. things. (Don't worry, we'll get to those in a sec!) Start making your own homemade sauce and you'll wow your family and friends with how easy and tasty it is!
WAYS TO USE YOUR PIZZA SAUCE
Obviously, the main way to use it is in the name, on a pizza. However, don't think that you're stuck with only using it on one! There are plenty of other ways you can use the leftovers so you don't feel like you're eating it the same exact way all the time. Here are just a few of our favorite ways to use pizza sauce:
- Cheesy Garlic Bread – This is definitely one of our favorite ways to eat some pizza sauce (outside of on a pizza, of course!). You can't go wrong with this cheesy bread, and it's a great way to use up any bread from the freezer!
- Calzones – Make Ben from Parks and Rec proud by making your own calzones and dipping them in our homemade pizza sauce!
- Pizzadillas – Up your quesadilla game by giving them a pizza twist. Add your favorite cheese and pizza toppings to a tortilla, cook it, and dip into the sauce. You'll love this new twist on a steak quesadilla classic!
- Zucchini Boats or Slices – This healthy, yet tasty, take on pizza will always go well with our pizza sauce!
- String Cheese-Stuffed Crescent Rolls – Make these easy and delicious stuffed crescents any time for a quick snack or appetizer.
- English Muffin Pizzas – English muffin halves, pizza sauce, and cheese are all you need for a tasty little treat!
- Pizza Casserole – Noodles, pizza sauce, cheese, and pizza toppings will always result in a family favorite that's a great way to shelf cook through your fridge and freezer.
- Pizza Rolls – You won't be sorry making these fun, hand-held pizza rolls with your homemade sauce!
- Cheese Sticks – Homemade or store-bought mozzarella sticks will always go well with our pizza sauce.
- Pizza Ring – This is a great way to feed a crowd! Nobody will turn down a pizza ring with some homemade sauce to dip it in.
- Baked Potatoes – Did we catch you off-guard with this one?? Pizza toppings go great on baked potatoes!
- Meatloaf – Italian-style meatloaf is so good! Italian bread crumbs and our pizza sauce will have you in meatloaf heaven in no time.
- Tomato Soup – Your new favorite tomato soup recipe can be started with this leftover pizza sauce! Now that's what we call repurposing leftovers.
- Build Your Own Pasta – Create your own pasta dish using what you've got on hand. Use the pizza sauce as a base for your dish and you're guaranteed that it's going to have everybody saying “wow!”
Pro Tip: Some of these ideas are a great way to use that little bit of pizza sauce that you have leftover. Don't ever throw it out if you can do something else with it!
HOW TO MAKE SUBSTITUTIONS
Pizza sauce is basically made up of tomatoes, right? While the recipe calls for both tomato sauce and paste, you can easily substitute any type of tomato to make it work for you! Here are a few tips on how to do that:
- Crushed Tomatoes – A 28-oz can will really go a long way when it comes to this homemade pizza sauce recipe! They give it a bit of a chunkier consistency, but it's still very delish. Just taste it before you're finished cooking it to make sure it's seasoned to your liking.
- Whole Steamed Tomatoes – Throw them in a blender to break them down before you add them to your pizza sauce recipe, then keep on keepin' on with the seasonings.
- Diced Tomatoes – The same goes for the diced tomato variety! Blend them up before adding them to your recipe.
- Fresh Tomatoes – If you have a garden or tomatoes sitting in your fridge that need to be eaten, this is for you! Steam them yourself, drain any excess liquid, break them down, and add them to your recipe.
- Tomato Paste – Tomato paste, is a very condensed product, so you'll need to add water to the recipe and probably some extra seasonings until you get it to your liking. It will still be quite delicious once you get it into your pizza sauce!
- Tomato Sauce – You'll love how easy tomato sauce is to turn into pizza sauce because it's already pre-seasoned! You'll still want to add more seasonings to it to really take it the extra mile, but it's okay if you don't have a ton.
Use any combination of the above with the seasonings in the recipe and you'll have the most delicious homemade pizza sauce that goes perfectly on your homemade pizza.
Pro Tip: Don't forget about your leftover spaghetti sauce! It freezes really well and it tastes great on your pizza or as a dip!
HOW TO FREEZE PIZZA SAUCE
Our homemade pizza sauce recipe is so easy to double or triple while you're making it! It takes hardly any extra effort, and the ingredients are super cheap. It freezes beautifully, so you can do all of the “hard work” (if you can even call it that!) at one time, then you've got a quick and easy sauce that's ready to go at a moment's notice.
Allow your pizza sauce to cool completely in the fridge. Then, freeze a meal-size portion flat in a freezer baggie. You can also freeze your leftover sauce in an ice cube tray for smaller amounts. Once they're fully frozen, move them to a freezer baggie. Don't forget to label your baggies with what's in them and the date!
SUCH AN EASY HOMEMADE PIZZA SAUCE RECIPE
Alright, are you ready for the sauciest sauce that you could ask for? Get ready for your mind to be blown over how easy it is!
Homemade Pizza Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp cooking oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 6-oz can tomato paste
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp basil
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp paprika
- Black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste, tomato sauce, sugar, salt, basil, oregano, paprika, and pepper. Stir until it's all combined.
- Bring to a simmer, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for at least 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- When ready, add to pizza crust or to a bowl for dipping. Enjoy!
Notes
If that's not the most delicious pizza sauce that you'll ever make, then we don't know what is!
Alright pizza sauce masters, get in the kitchen and start slingin' pies and making sauce! Let us know your favorite way to use pizza sauce in the comments!
Looking for more great ideas?
- Our creamy macaroni and cheese recipe is about to become your new favorite!
- Ever wondered how long food lasts in the fridge and freezer? We've got the answers for you!
- Make our Italian cream cheese chicken recipe one night, then use the leftovers to make a creamy chicken soup!
Stay saucy!