We have another version of homemade marinara sauce  that is the down-and-dirty version and takes about 20 minutes in total! If you’re pressed for time use that recipe.

Adding a couple of spices or dried herbs can really create a quick pizza sauce recipe. To add flavor quickly add oregano, powdered garlic, dried rosemary, thyme, and sage. However, the authentic pizza sauce recipe in this blog post is the super-charged version, and making the time is well worth the effort!

Homemade Authentic Pizza Sauce Recipe Ingredients

Keep it as fresh as you can. But, there’s also no shame in using canned ingredients when it makes sense.

• • Canned tomatoes – We use San Marzano whole canned tomatoes for our homemade pizza sauce. Pizza fans, top chefs, and Italian cooks praise these tomatoes as the gold standard for taste. If you want a genuinely Italian flavor experience, you’ll want to use San Marzano tomatoes when making your pizza sauce.
  • Fresh mushrooms – Sliced mushrooms have a mild earthy and slightly nutty flavor. The taste can vary depending on the type of mushroom, with some varieties having a more robust and meaty flavor, while others are more delicate and subtle.
  • Fresh cherry tomatoes – Fresh cherry tomatoes have a bright, sweet, and slightly tangy flavor. They are juicy and have a thin skin that bursts with flavor when. The taste of cherry tomatoes can vary depending on the variety, with some being more acidic or sweeter than others. We use Honey Bombs in the off-season or the fresh cherry tomatoes we grow in the garden for our homemade pizza sauce. Cherry tomatoes add a sweet, bright flavor. 
  • Chopped onions – Sliced onions have a pungent and slightly sweet taste. The taste can vary depending on the type of onion, with some varieties having a milder and sweeter flavor, while others have a more robust and sharp flavor. We use shallots, and white or yellow onions for our homemade pizza sauce recipe.
  •  Fresh garlic – Garlic has a unique flavor profile that can be described as a combination of savory, slightly bitter, and slightly sweet notes. When added to a dish, diced garlic can enhance the overall flavor and depth, adding a pleasant aroma and taste.
  • Vegetable broth –  Vegetable broth enhances the flavor of your homemade pizza sauce. Vegetable broth can add depth and complexity to a sauce by providing a rich and savory taste that complements the other ingredients.
  • Extra-virgin olive oil – Olive oil adds flavor! Extra-virgin olive oil has a distinct, fruity taste that can enhance the overall flavor of a sauce. The oil’s rich, bold flavor is especially noticeable in sauces that are not heavily spiced.
  • Fresh rosemary – Fresh rosemary has a bold, aromatic flavor that can add depth and complexity to a pizza sauce. The herb’s slightly bitter and piney notes complement the acidic tomato sauce, creating a well-rounded and flavorful taste.
  • Fresh thyme – Fresh thyme has a distinct, earthy flavor that can add depth and complexity to a pizza sauce. The herb’s slightly sweet and floral notes complement the acidic tomato sauce, creating a balanced and flavorful taste.
  • Fresh sage – Fresh sage has a savory and slightly peppery flavor that can add a unique taste to pizza sauce. The herb’s slightly bitter notes complement the acidic tomato sauce, creating a well-rounded and flavorful taste.
  • Sea salt – Sea salt has a clean, briny flavor that can enhance the taste of the pizza sauce. The salt can bring out the natural flavors of the other ingredients and balance out the acidity of the tomato sauce.
  • Fresh ground pepper –  Freshly ground black pepper has a distinct, spicy flavor that can add depth and complexity to a pizza sauce. The pepper’s sharp, pungent taste can balance out the sweetness of the tomato sauce and enhance the overall flavor of the pizza.

How to Make Homemade Pizza Sauce

Prep, Saute, Simmer, Blend, Serve.

• Prepare the fresh ingredients

• • • Chop onions: Begin by peeling the onion and cutting off the top and bottom. Cut the onion in half from top to bottom, and then remove the papery skin. Lay each half flat on the cutting board and make horizontal cuts across the onion, followed by vertical cuts. Finally, slice across the onion to create small pieces.
    • Dice garlic: Start by separating the cloves from the garlic bulb and peeling away the skin. Lay the clove flat on the cutting board and make vertical cuts across the clove, followed by horizontal cuts. Finally, chop across the garlic to create small pieces.
    • Slice mushrooms: Begin by cleaning the mushrooms with a damp paper towel. Remove the stems and slice the mushrooms into thin pieces.
    • Chop fresh rosemary: Remove the rosemary leaves from the stem and finely chop them.
    • Chop fresh thyme: Remove the thyme leaves from the stem and finely chop them.
    • Chop fresh sage: Remove the sage leaves from the stem and finely chop them.

• Next – Add the olive oil, onion, garlic, and herbs (sage, rosemary, and thyme) sea salt and freshly ground pepper to a saucepan and sauté them until they become soft and fragrant. This will take about 5-10 minutes. This creates a flavorful base for the sauce. The heat and oil help to release the flavors and aromas of the herbs and vegetables, which infuse the sauce with a delicious taste and smell. 

• Simmer – Once the onions and garlic are soft, add the fresh cherry tomatoes, fresh mushrooms, salt, and pepper simmer the sauce until it thickens and the flavors meld together. This will take another 5-10 minutes.

• Next – Add the canned, whole San Marzano tomatoes and vegetables and allow to simmer on medium-high. This will take 5-10 minutes for the flavors to infuse. You should be smelling wonderful aromas at this point!

• Blend – Once the sauce has simmered for a period of time and the vegetables have softened, remove the saucepan from the heat and allow it to cool slightly before transferring it to a high-speed blender. Blend the sauce on high speed until it reaches a smooth and creamy consistency – only about one minute. This step can help to break down any remaining chunks of vegetables and create a velvety texture.

• Finally – After blending, the sauce can be transferred back to the saucepan and simmered for a few more minutes to thicken and allow the flavors to meld together with original simmered sauce base. This technique can result in a delicious and flavorful pizza sauce that is sure to impress.

Favorite Homemade Pizza Recipe

• • Half and Half Artisan Pizza

If you decide to try our authentic pizza sauce recipe, feel free to let us know in the comments below.