Making The Perfect Pizza Sauce

Posted by Christine Szalay-Kudra on August 9, 2010

A good pizza sauce can make or break a pizza. Once you know the right ingredients, you can make your own pizza sauce that is as good as or better than what you can get at your local pizzeria. It may take a few tries to perfect it, but it will be worth it.

Tomatoes form the basis of pizza sauce. Fresh plum tomatoes are meaty and have traditionally been used for tomato sauce of all kinds. Once they are picked, they will need to be blanched, peeled, de-seeded, and chopped before cooking. If fresh tomatoes are not available, you can always use canned tomatoes. They are available year round.

Canned Tomatoes

It is easy to find canned tomatoes at your local market. You will find them whole, chopped, diced, or crushed. Tomato puree and paste is also available. They are more concentrated. Combining both types can make for a great sauce. If you have a few fresh tomatoes, you can add them in as well. All tomatoes should be a bright red in color when the can is opened. A darker color indicates that they used too much heat in the processing, and an orange hue suggests the tomatoes were under ripe.

The tomatoes you have chosen need to be cooked together. Adding chopped fresh or canned tomatoes can create a nice chunky texture. Stew the tomatoes over low heat. Stir them often. Never take your eyes too far away… you do not want overcooked sauce.

Other Ingredients

With a strong tomato base, all you need to do is add your herbs and spices to create a great pizza sauce. Salt, pepper, and garlic are ingredients you must add to help round out the flavors. Some people add a little sugar as well. This does not really sweeten the sauce as much as help cut the acidity of the tomatoes. If you use a low-acid tomato base, it may not be necessary.

Herbs are another necessary ingredient in your pizza sauce. Oregano is a traditional Italian herb that is most often used in pizza sauce. If it is too strong for you, choose marjoram instead. It is similar, but milder. Basil is another herb that is used on pizza and it goes exceptionally well with tomatoes. Other herbs that may be added include rosemary, thyme, parsley, tarragon, or bay leaf. If you use bay, remove it when the sauce has finished cooking.

If you like your sauce spicy, add a little cayenne, red pepper flakes or hot paprika. Remember that a little goes a long way. A little pinch adds some punch to your sauce. If some family members are not into spice, you can keep your red pepper flakes on the table to be applied as desired by your diners when they sit down to eat.

Adding a little olive oil to your sauce will give it that traditional Italian flavor. It adds some authenticity. The green olive oils will taste more of fresh olives. A little bit of your favorite wine can add more depth to your sauce and a bit of richness as well.

pizza dough recipes vary widely and you can use different kinds of flour and different flavorings for a range of wonderful homemade pizza results. At our site, you can find lots of pizza dough recipes to team with your favorite pizza sauce and pizza toppings. Nothing is as tasty as homemade pizza!