This quick and easy homemade pizza sauce is bursting with plump tomatoes, garlic, and fresh herbs. Perfect for homemade pizza night!

Two jars of homemade pizza sauce on a counter.

Something fresh for your homemade pizzas.

I have no problem admitting that I’m a sucker for generic jarred pizza sauce. There’s something nostalgic about it. But certain pizzas call for something fresh; something made up of hand-crushed tomatoes, aromatic herbs, and fresh zippy garlicky goodness. This homemade pizza sauce is quick, easy, and perfect for homemade pizza nights!

Pizza sauce kept simple.

Nothing complicated here. This recipe was inspired by Lidia Bastianich’s homespun pizza sauce recipe. We’re big fans of Lidia in this house, so when it comes to comforting Italian food, she’s our go-to. Of course I had to add my own flare to the recipe (hello, kitchen control freak here, hi).  So here we are.

Ingredients are easy to find and simple to throw together. Our homemade pizza dough is quick and easy, so we wanted our go-to homemade pizza sauce to be the same.

Large mixing bowl full of crushed tomatoes with pinch bowls of other ingredients.
Hands grating garlic into bowl of crushed tomatoes.

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Canned plum tomatoes
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Garlic
  • Fresh oregano (you could also use 1 tsp of Italian seasoning)
  • Kosher salt
  • Chili flakes

Here’s what you’ll do:

  1. Transfer the plum tomatoes, juice and all, into a large mixing bowl. With bare clean hands, crush them into chunks so you’re left with somewhat of a chunky tomato sauce.
  2. Add the olive oil. With a microplane, grate the garlic to a paste and add it to the tomatoes. If you don’t have a microplane, simply mince the garlic really well.
  3. Finely chop the oregano and add it to the sauce.
  4. Finally, add the salt and chili flakes, and gently stir the sauce to combine. Set it aside as you make your pizza. If you’re not using it shortly after it’s made, place it in a jar with a lid and refrigerate it. This good stuff will keep in the fridge for up to a week! You can also store it in an airtight container and freeze it for up to two months.
Overhead shot of jar full of homemade pizza sauce.

Here are some awesome ways to use this sauce.

Hope you enjoy!

If you plan on making this recipe, be sure to snap a pic and tag us on Insta! @killing__thyme.

Two jars of homemade pizza sauce on a counter.

Quick and Easy Homemade Pizza Sauce

This quick and easy homemade pizza sauce is bursting with plump tomatoes, garlic, and fresh herbs. Perfect for homemade pizza night!
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 3 cups
Author: Dana Sandonato

Equipment

  • Microplane (not necessary, but preferred.)

Ingredients

  • 1 28 oz can of plum tomatoes (San Marzano preferred) Don't drain the juice!
  • 2 TBSP Extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp Kosher salt
  • 2 cloves of garlic, grated to a paste or finely minced
  • 2 TBSP chopped fresh oregano
  • 1/4 tsp dried chili flakes

Instructions

  • Transfer the plum tomatoes, juice and all, into a large mixing bowl. With bare clean hands, crush them into chunks so you're left with somewhat of a chunky tomato sauce.
  • Add the olive oil. With a microplane, grate the garlic to a paste and add it to the tomatoes. If you don't have a microplane, simply mince the garlic really well.
  • Finely chop the oregano and add it to the sauce.
  • Finally, add the salt and chili flakes, and gently stir the sauce to combine. Set it aside as you make your pizza. If you're not using it shortly after it's made, place it in a jar with a lid and refrigerate it. This good stuff will keep in the fridge for up to a week! You can also store it in an airtight container and freeze it for up to two months.