I’m showing you how to make pizza sauce with fresh tomatoes, with this simple, easy recipe! At the end of Summer and beginning of Fall, our tomato plants gift us a ton of tomatoes, and making pizza sauce with our fresh, homegrown tomatoes is one of my favorite things to store up on.
Every year around September, our tomato bushes (my husband has the ultimate tomato green thumb) produce hundreds of fruit, and we are always looking for new ways to use our tomatoes. Over the years, I developed THE easiest and most flavorful pizza sauce recipe with fresh tomatoes. (& over in this corner, we believe that fresh is always better)!
While you can use tomato puree from a can to make good pizza sauce, which is better than buying a fully canned or store-bought tomato sauce, if you have extra tomatoes laying around, this recipe is a great one to have in your back pocket. This pizza sauce can be used to make rustic Italian homemade pizza, pizza bagel bites or pizza bagels, or you can even use it in pasta!
You have to try this easy homemade pizza sauce with fresh tomatoes, and I promise you will make the most flavorful pizzas ever!
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love This Homemade Pizza Sauce Recipe
- What You’ll Need for This Pizza Sauce Recipe
- How to Make Homemade Pizza Sauce
- FAQ’s: Storing & Substitutions
- [Video] How to Make Pizza Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes
- Recipe for Pizza Sauce Using Fresh Tomatoes
Why You’ll Love This Homemade Pizza Sauce With Fresh Tomatoes
- It’s quick & easy – we are all about simple, quick, and easy fresh recipes here! This pizza sauce recipe can be whipped up with many ingredients you probably already have at home, in one pan, in less than 30 minutes.
- It tastes soooo good – how can you go wrong with the right ratio of fresh tomatoes, garlic, and herbs? Answer: you can’t!
- It’s versatile – while this fresh sauce recipe is perfect for pizzas, it can also be used for pastas, breads, and more! Again, you can’t go wrong with a tomato-garlic-herb blend.
Trust me, when you try this recipe, you’ll see what all the hype is about! Then, you’ll have to try my favorite pizzas: bbq chicken pizza, hot honey chicken pizza, hot honey ricotta pizza, and pepperoni pizza with hot honey.
If you enjoy this recipe, you have to try other delicious tomato recipes like my homemade salsa!
What You’ll Need for this Recipe
The ingredients are simple. Tomatoes. Garlic. Olive oil. Herbs.
- Fresh tomatoes: you’ll need 2.5 pounds of fresh tomatoes. Try to find the brightest, juiciest tomatoes for the most flavorful sauce.
- Olive oil: this gives the sauce a bit of added flavor, better consistency, and ties everything together
- Herbs: garlic, red chili flakes, oregano, and basil give the sauce it’s amazing flavor blend.
- Sugar: sugar helps to balance out the acidity of the tomatoes. If you have freshly picked tomatoes from your garden, you may not need as much sugar for this recipe.
- Salt and black pepper: can’t forget the basics for seasoning.
How to Make Pizza Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes
- Quarter the tomatoes and blend them together until smooth.
- In a saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat and sauté the garlic for about 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Add red chili flakes, then pour the tomato purée into the pan.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook uncovered for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking or burning, until the sauce thickens.
- Stir in the oregano, basil, sugar, salt and pepper, and continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld and the sauce to thicken further.
- Let the sauce cool completely before transferring it to a jar.
Just 5 easy steps to make THE best pizza sauce with fresh tomatoes!!
FAQ’s: Storing & Substitutions
Yes, canned tomatoes (especially whole peeled or crushed) are a convenient substitute when fresh tomatoes aren’t in season. Just be sure to use good-quality tomatoes without added preservatives or sugar.
If you prefer a super smooth sauce, you can blend the boiled tomatoes before straining them back into the pot. Or, after the sauce thickens, use an immersion blender to reach your desired consistency.
This sauce stores well in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let it cool completely before transferring it to airtight containers. My preferred storage method is to put the sauce in a mason jar to keep it fresh in the fridge.
Yes! You can add finely chopped onions, bell peppers, or even grated carrots to enhance the flavor and texture. For a heartier sauce, try adding ground beef or sausage.
If the sauce tastes too acidic, you can balance it out by adding a pinch of sugar or a splash of balsamic vinegar.
If the sauce is thin, just simmer it longer until it gets to your desired consistency.
[VIDEO] How to Make Pizza Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes
Pizza Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 2 ½ lbs fresh tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder or 2 cloves fresh garlic
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3 tablespoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Quarter the tomatoes and blend them together until smooth.
- In a saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat and sauté the garlic for about 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Add red chili flakes, then pour the tomato purée into the pan.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook uncovered for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking or burning, until the sauce thickens.
- Stir in the oregano, basil, sugar, salt and pepper, and continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld and the sauce to thicken further.
- Let the sauce cool completely before transferring it to a jar.
Video
Notes
- Choose Ripe Tomatoes: For a more flavorful pizza sauce, use ripe tomatoes. They tend to be sweeter and juicier, which gives the sauce a more rich flavor.
- Use Fresh Garlic: Fresh garlic has a more robust flavor compared to garlic powder. Crush it to release more of its natural oils and flavor.
- Experiment with Seasonings: This is a customizable sauce depending on your preferred flavors. Feel free to experiment with different herbs and seasonings.
- Adjust Consistency: If the sauce is too thick, you can thin it out with a little reserved pasta water or stock. If it’s too thin, continue simmering to reduce it further.
- Storage Tip: Once cooled, store the sauce in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze it for up to 3 months for easy future use.
- Multi-purpose Use: This sauce isn’t just for pasta! Use it as a base for pizza, lasagna, or even as a dipping sauce for breadsticks.
Let me know in the comments if you loved this recipe for pizza sauce with fresh tomatoes!
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This sauce was so good and super easy to make! I had a bunch of tomatoes from my garden and this was the perfect thing to make with them. Will definitely make it again!