How To Easily Make Pizza Sauce With Tomato Paste
Some of the links on this site may be affiliate links. This means, at no additional cost to you, I may be paid a small commission if you follow the links and make a purchase. Learn more here.
This pizza sauce from tomato paste is quick, easy, and is seasoned with simple ingredients for an extremely flavorful red sauce that requires no cooking and no added sugar.
Just dump, mix, and enjoy this quick and easy homemade tomato paste pizza sauce! Keep reading for the recipe.
We love pizza. I mean, who doesn’t? There’s something about how it all comes together with the crust, the sauce, and the toppings. The flavor combinations are endless and it always seems to hit the spot.
Over the last ten twelve years of our marriage, we’ve had pizza every Friday night *almost* every week. Basically, I’m a homemade pizza pro :). The crust has changed through the years…wheat crust, white wheat crust, sourdough crust, cauliflower crust, coconut flour pizza crust, and even almond flour crust.
The crust might change, but the sauce stays the same. #teamredsauce
The best homemade pizza needs the best homemade pizza sauce
The crust is extremely important in pizza. It’s holds the pizza together. But the sauce is the base of the flavor. So it HAS to be good.
Anytime we get pizza at a restaurant (or delivery), we ask for extra sauce. Why? Because the sauce is such an important part of the pizza.
Pizza doesn’t quite feel like pizza if there’s no red sauce (or if the sauce is thin and runny)…agreed?
In my opinion, when you make the sauce from tomato sauce (not tomato paste) it’s too watery for my taste. I like my sauce thick, rich, and full of flavor (which is exactly what you’ll find in this recipe).
Tools to make this pizza sauce recipe
- Mason jars – This size is great for storing your pizza sauce.
- A pizza peel – For sliding pizza into the oven and taking it out.
- Pizza cutter like the pros – I’ve always wanted one of these.
- Pizza cookbook – For inspiration if you need some.
Ingredients used in this pizza sauce recipe
- Tomato paste – Organic if possible, with only one ingredient – like this kind
- Salt – We love this kind because it’s not stripped of nutrients.
- Dried oregano and dried thyme – Can also substitute Italian seasoning for these two
- Garlic powder – Granulated garlic is another name for this.
- Olive oil – Use good quality olive oil like this kind.
- White vinegar – You can also use apple cider vinegar.
Ingredient Substitution Ideas
- Tomato paste – If you only have tomato sauce or fresh tomatoes, you can use those, but I highly recommend cooking it down so it doesn’t make your crust soggy. Oh, and if you’re trying to make sauce from fresh tomatoes, I highly recommend making these semi dried tomatoes to get as much flavor and sweetness out of them as possible, then blend them up to make your pizza sauce.
- Dried oregano and dried thyme – You can substitute Italian seasoning for these two, or fresh herbs instead. I’d start with half as much if you’re using fresh, then add more as needed.
- Garlic powder – You could use granulated garlic or garlic powder. If you only have garlic salt, omit the salt and start with half as much. Another delicious idea would be to add roasted garlic (yum)!
- Olive oil – You could swap out the olive oil for avocado oil or another oil if you’d prefer. I haven’t tried it with just adding water, but that might work as well.
- White vinegar – Feel free to substitute balsamic vinegar or apple cider vinegar here. Either work just as well.
Why do I always use tomato paste in pizza sauce?
Tomato paste is just tomatoes pureed and cooked down. We use tomato paste in this pizza sauce recipe (and in most tomato recipes) for a few reasons.
- It creates an incredibly rich tomato flavor.
- Tomato paste (typically) only has one ingredient: tomatoes. Which means no preservatives, or added sugars and salts.
- It’s really thick. You can water it down a bit if you want, but for a good pizza sauce, it’s great thick.
If you only have tomato sauce or diced tomatoes, you could use those. But I would recommend you cook them down a bit. Otherwise, the sauce would be too wet. Soggy pizza is definitely not ideal.
This is the tomato paste we use. It’s organic and there’s only one ingredient: “organic tomatoes”. We get ours at Costco, but it’s available here on Amazon if you’d rather buy it there.
How to make pizza sauce from tomato paste
Oh it’s so easy. Just follow these steps:
- Add all the ingredients to the bowl
- Stir to combine.
- Spread on your pizza crust with cheese & toppings & enjoy!
Yes, it’s really that easy! If you don’t believe me, just watch the video here!
Why Make Homemade Pizza?
- Cooking pizza from scratch is better for you than frozen pizzas. YOU choose what ingredients go in and what stays out.
- It’s WAY cheaper than going out to pizza. And who doesn’t love saving money? Watch this free masterclass to learn about the exact system I used to pay off our debts (including our mortgage), and drastically increase our savings WITHOUT skimping on the quality of our food.
- I’m not sure what’s better than sitting around the dinner table enjoying a homemade pizza with your family.
Tips for Making Perfect Homemade Pizza Every Time
- Pick a good crust recipe. Here’s a tasty recipe for almond flour pizza crust, and here’s a coconut flour pizza crust recipe that you’ll LOVE. We’ve found that you can make a good pizza crust with just about any base ingredient (even cauliflower). Search around google for a crust made with what you have on hand.
- Use plenty of sauce. Like I said before, we’re big fans of LOTS of red sauce on our pizza.
- Pick your cheese(s). The standard cheese for pizza is mozzarella, but that doesn’t mean you should feel limited to only using mozzarella. We’ve used blue cheese, cheddar cheese, and even no cheese (or vegan cheese).
- We like to bake the crust in the oven for a few minutes before spreading the sauce on top. This helps firm up the middle of the crust and makes sure we don’t have a soggy pizza situation.
- After the crust has firmed up in the middle, add the sauce, then layer the cheese and toppings on top and put it back in the oven until the cheese is melted.
FAQ RECAP
Yes! I highly recommend it. You’ll get a thick and rich sauce that doesn’t even require cooking.
Making pizza for a crowd? No problem. This pizza sauce recipe is easily doubled or tripled. As is, this recipe will make enough sauce for a heavily sauced 10″ pizza, or thinner sauce on 2 10″ pizzas.
If you have extra sauce, you can freeze the extra sauce (see more on that below), or dip your pizza crust into (like a marinara sauce).
Yes! You could easily make up a big batch and freeze it in smaller containers so you have pizza sauce on hand when you need it. I like using these wide mouth mason jars. A trick I’ve found to freezing food in mason jars is to leave the lid a little loose so the pressure doesn’t cause them to crack. Then once it’s frozen you can go tighten the lid more.
Spaghetti sauce is usually thinner and often has cooked onions in it. If you’re in a pinch and that’s all you have, I recommend boiling the sauce for a while to get it thicker so you don’t end up with soggy pizza crust.
Also, pay attention to the ingredients in the spaghetti sauce you’re using. Many have added sugars that really aren’t necessary to make a tasty sauce.
If a traditional tomato based sauce isn’t your thing, you could make a pizza with just about any sauce: BBQ sauce, honey mustard, Thai peanut sauce, or even basil pesto.
Tomato puree is tomatoes pureed (straightforward enough, right?). If you use tomato puree for your pizza sauce, you’ll likely end up with soggy crust. This recipe uses tomato paste to ensure you don’t have a soggy crust because the sauce will be thicker.
More Simple Sauce Recipes
I’ve been making homemade sauces for years, and here on Scratch to Basics I’ve got SO many other sauce recipes. The sauce brings the flavor to the meal, friends.
You can use these alternate sauces on your pizza instead of traditional red pizza sauce, or to drizzle over your chicken for dinner tomorrow night.
- 5 Minute Coconut Curry Sauce
- Best Homemade Peanut Dipping Sauce
- Easy Enchilada Sauce From Tomato Paste
- No Cook Honey Barbecue Sauce From Tomato Paste
- 22 Delicious Tomato Paste Recipes
And, in case you have a giant stack of crinkled up recipes that you have to sift through when you want to find your favorite recipes, I highly recommend this Meal Planning and Recipe Binder Organization video + PDF.
Get the PDF instant download today!
Perfect Pizza Sauce With Tomato Paste
The perfect pizza sauce made with tomato paste and other simple ingredients!
Ingredients
- 12 oz tomato paste (organic if possible)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp oregano
- 2 tsp thyme
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 4 Tbs olive oil
- 2 tsp white vinegar
Instructions
- Put all ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.
- Put it on your pizza with your other toppings and bake.
- Enjoy!
Notes
If you'd rather a thinner sauce, add water 1 Tbsp at a time until it reaches your desired thickness
This recipe makes enough for a thick sauce layer on a 10" pizza. If you have extra, save it for dipping your crust in.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1/4 cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 97Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 171mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gProtein: 2g
Don’t forget to pin this for later!
![Chipotle Mayo Recipe [GF, DF, Paleo]](https://www.scratchtobasics.com/wp-content/uploads/chipotli-aioli-featured.jpg)
I tripled this recipe and froze the extra! Favorite new pizza sauce recipe!
Glad to hear it! Great idea to make a big batch and freeze for later!
This tastes so good!! So happy to have found this recipe. I am sure to use it often. Thank you for sharing it.
Tricia, I’m so glad you’re enjoying it! We use it weekly on pizza night :). Thanks for your comment. -Megan
This sauce was OUTSTANDING! I cheated and just used an Italian herb mix, but the flavor was soooo good, and no sugar added.
Hannah, I’m so glad you liked it! I love using the tomato paste because it gives so much sweetness without needing any added sugar. Thanks for your comment!
This sauce is perfect. It is now the only pizza sauce our family uses.
Thanks for your comment, Jill. We love this pizza sauce too 🙂
I made this to spruce up a good frozen pizza. It was great. I love that it’s an awesome base recipe that you can play with and add or take away things you like. Thanks for sharing this recipe
So easy, fast and yummy! I did a half batch because I only had a small can of tomato paste and added a splash of balsamic vinegar to give it a little sweetness and cut the tang for the kids.
Kat – I’m so glad you enjoyed the pizza sauce recipe! Thanks for your comment 🙂
Just made this sauce tonight for sourdough French bread pizza and it was great! I tweaked it a little and used 3tsp Italian seasoning, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp basil, 3 fresh garlic cloves finely minced on a microplaner, 4 tbsp avocado oil (because I was out of olive oil), salt, white vinegar, and a couple pinches of crushed red chili flakes. The fact you can change up some of the ingredients is what makes this a great recipe. I wanted the spices to bloom and meld with the sauce so I heated it in a small saucepan on low heat while I prepared/shredded/sliced all of the other pizza ingredients. I had another recipe I used many times which combined tomato paste with tomato sauce but I loved the depth of flavor and the thicker consistency with this recipe. So glad I came across it when I searched for recipes using just tomato paste (I was out of sauce).
KDarbs – Thanks for your comment! I love that this recipe is flexible, too. And totally customizable (as you demonstrated with your tweaks). Your pizza sounds like it was delicious!!!
I tried this recipe but thought it had too much garlic in it and I love garlic. I may not have measured it correctly because just a 1/2 tsp isn’t a lot. I did mix this up 3-4 days prior so wasn’t sure if this was the issue or not. I would like to try it again just to be sure but my wife and couldn’t eat my pizza.
Hey Dave,
Thanks for your comment, and sorry it didn’t turn out quite right. I definitely recommend trying it again and making sure you measured everything correctly, as I haven’t had anyone mention it being too garlicky before. So sorry things didn’t turn out. I’ve made this sauce ahead of time and don’t notice much change in flavor, so I’m not sure what happened there. Good luck next time!
thank you for saving my dumb ass after i didn’t realize i’d forgotten pizza sauce at the store until after my pizza dough was rolled out and ready to be topped
I think this pizza sauce is the best I have ever made. My husband likes it since there is no sugar added and it’s thick and zesty. I use it on homemade French bread it doesn’t soak into the bread and make it soggy.
Lynelle, I’m so glad to hear you like the sauce. We also love that there’s no sugar and it isn’t watery (no soggy pizza crust for us :))! Thanks for your comment!
This sauce, with mushrooms and manchego cheese on whole wheat tortillas, gave us lunch pronto. Red wine vinegar instead of white vinegar, Italian herb seasoning instead of thyme and oregano, minced fresh garlic instead of garlic powder. A keeper. Thanks!
I loved it! I will never buy pizza sauce again. I even use it to make pizza quesadillas. Thank you.
This is awesome. A major pizza craving struck and I wasn’t about to order delivery for just me, but I had no pizza sauce (or tomato sauce) on hand, just tomato paste. And it came together in maybe two minutes total. Great stuff, thank you! I’ll be using this many times in the future.
This is just spiced tomato paste- you can’t really claim this as a pizza sauce. Authentic pizza sauce never uses tomato paste and no garlic powder either.
We’ve used this sauce on our pizza for years. It may not be authentic but it works great for a fast homemade pizza sauce! Thanks for stopping by!
Love the sauce I hate runny pizza sauce. I cut it in half since I was just making two small nann pizzas worked like a dream still have leftover to do something with it for the week
Wonderful and deeply flavored! I had some frozen cubes of tomato paste from who knows when, thawed them in the microwave, and stirred everything together – voila! Thanks for helping me use up what lurked in the freezer!
I’m looking forward to making this tonight. Is there a substitute for the oil, maybe aquafaba, or can we eliminate it? We’re oil free WFPB.
Hi there! You can eliminate the oil or sub water if you want to thin it out a bit. Enjoy!
Olive oil or Extra virgin olive oil? which is better to use?
Hey Craig! We prefer using extra virgin olive oil in our house, because it’s the purest (the first press). It’ll have more of an olivey flavor, but you really won’t be able to taste it much in this recipe. Enjoy!
Use fresh pressed garlic. You will be blown away at the flavour difference!
I used this recipe because I was out of my regular sauce. . My pizzas were so bitter that even my garage disposal of a husband wouldn’t eat them.
This tastes really close to the sauce that is on the pizza at my favorite pizza place, I LOVE a bold tomato flavor, and thats what this is, But It is almost a little too bold, I think half a teaspoon of sugar would allow it to still pack a punch!
Just perfect and delicious. It’s not bitter (use quality paste) and perfect garlic amount. I add additional garlic on my part and everyone else loves this too!!
Thanks for a bold and flavorful sauce.
I was a little worried about the sauce because the olive oil taste was so strong before I baked the pizza. After baked I can confirm it tastes delicious!!