Whenever I make pizza, I always throw together my own pizza sauce. It’s super easy to do and you can even double or triple the recipe and freeze it for later.

Homemade Pizza Sauce Recipe

Sure you can buy pizza sauce at the store, but you probably have all the ingredients in your pantry right now. This sauce is quick and easy and tastes great.

If you like to cook with your kids, this is a great job for them! They can measure out all the ingredients while you make the pizza dough.

I’ve been making pizza at home for almost two decades now. Once I learned how to make my own dough, homemade pizza sausage, and of course this easy pizza sauce, there was no turning back.

Now here’s another cool thing about this pizza sauce. It makes a unique and fun gift at the holidays! Fill a jar, attach a tag and done. This is especially good for my aunt Joyce who used to put spaghetti sauce on her pizza!

Ingredients

First you’ll need tomato paste. I always use canned, the tubed paste is more expensive and works great for when you only need a tablespoon at a time. But you will need the whole can.
You will be mixing in warm water. Roughly 110 degrees F, but honestly just really warm tap water is fine.
This will likely be one of the few times I tell you it’s okay to use that plastic container of Parmesan cheese. I actually buy finely grated Parmesan in a bag, but yes, the green container will work great!
Fresh garlic, not the jarred kind and definitely not dried minced garlic. Those both have their place, but this isn’t it.
Sweet, delicious honey! This is going to take away the acidic bite that tomatoes can have, but won’t make your sauce too sweet.
The dried herbs and spices you will need are likely in your pantry right now. They include onion powder, oregano, marjoram, basil, freshly ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, dried red pepper flakes, and salt to your liking.

Helpful kitchen tools:

Mixing bowl
Whisk
Measuring spoons
Ladle or serving spoon

How to Make Pizza Sauce

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and whisk together, breaking up any clumps of cheese.

Allow sauce to rest for 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld.

Spread over pizza dough and prepare pizza as desired.

How do I store this sauce?

You can refrigerate any leftover pizza sauce for 5-7 days.
If you make extra for later, store it in a covered air-tight container or freezer bag for up to 4 months.

close up of jar of homemade pizza sauce with a spoon on the side

What is the difference between pizza sauce and spaghetti or marinara sauce?

They are relatively the same, however pizza sauce is thicker. Spaghetti sauce is too thin and will cause a problem with the pizza dough cooking as the excess moisture will cause steam. Something like our pizza lasagna is a different story and can use either marinara or pizza sauce, because of how it’s prepared.

More pizza goodness

Be sure to check out my instructions for how to cook pizza on the grill. Such a fun way to make pizza!
Try my garlic bread pizza, so tasty!
French bread pizza is always a hit around here, especially if I don’t have time to make my pizza dough.