Easy No-Cook Pizza Sauce
Five minutes, one bowl and a can of crushed tomatoes. Enough sauce for four or five pizzas.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Total
- 5 min
- Makes
- 3 cups, enough for 4 to 5 (12-inch) pizzas
Pizza sauce cooks on the pizza, so it does not need to simmer on the stove. Stir it together while the oven heats and it will taste bright and tomatoey rather than jammy.
Why no-cook works
A hot oven reduces a thin layer of sauce in minutes. Starting with uncooked tomatoes keeps the flavor fresh, and it saves you a pot to wash.
Easy No-Cook Pizza Sauce
- Prep
- 5 min
- Total
- 5 min
- Makes
- About 3 cups, enough for 4 to 5 (12-inch) pizzas
Ingredients
Method
Stir the tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, oregano, salt and red pepper flakes together in a bowl.
Taste. Add the sugar only if the tomatoes taste sharp or tinny, and add a little more salt if the sauce tastes flat.
Stir in the basil and let the sauce stand for 15 minutes if you have time, so the garlic mellows.
Use about 1/2 cup of sauce for each 12-inch pizza, spread thinly and leaving a 1/2-inch border.
A new recipe from our editors: times are estimates and have not yet been confirmed in our own test kitchen. Use the doneness cues and temperatures above.
Questions, answered
What is the difference between pizza sauce and marinara?
Pizza sauce is usually uncooked and slightly thicker because it cooks on the pizza. Marinara is simmered on the stove and is looser, which suits pasta and dipping.
Can I make pizza sauce from tomato sauce?
Yes. Use one 15-ounce can of tomato sauce with 2 tablespoons of tomato paste to thicken it, then season as above.
How much sauce goes on a pizza?
About 1/2 cup for a 12-inch pizza. Less is more: a thick layer keeps the crust from crisping.
