• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Sweet Cayenne
  • ABOUT
    • Work With Me
    • Privacy Policy
  • RECIPES
    • All Recipes
    • RECIPES BY CATEGORY
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Condiments
    • Desserts
    • Main Entree
    • Sides
    • Snacks
    • Cooking Tips
    • How-To Guides
  • NEWSLETTER
  • CONTACT
  • PHOTOGRAPHY
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
  • ABOUT
  • RECIPES
  • NEWSLETTER
  • CONTACT
  • PHOTOGRAPHY
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • ABOUT
    • RECIPES
    • NEWSLETTER
    • CONTACT
    • PHOTOGRAPHY
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home > Recipes > Condiments

    5-Minute Pizza Sauce

    Published: Jun 11, 2019 · Modified: Nov 3, 2021 by Whitney Reist · This post may contain affiliate links |

    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    Learn to make this authentic 5-minute pizza sauce just the way they do in ITALY - easy, fast, and SO fresh!

    An overhead shot of a white bowl with tomato pizza sauce and can of San Marzano tomatoes on the side.
    Jump to:
    • Video
    • Instructions
    • How to use
    • How to store
    • Similar recipes
    • Recipe
    • Comments

    Authentic, Neapolitan-style pizza is my ALL-TIME favorite food and a dinner I love to try and replicate at home pretty much on a weekly basis. I've been so blessed to travel to Italy a few times and take some pizza classes, and I love to share as much as I can with you here on the blog! While there are several pizza recipes here, I've never posted a recipe for just a basic sauce. And it's always best to start with the basics when you are trying to master a certain type of recipe or cooking technique!

    A white bowl with whole San Marzano tomatoes with olive oil, salt, pepper, and fresh basil on the side.

    This 5-minute pizza sauce recipe is a replica of the sauce I learned to make in the pizza classes I took with Walkabout Tours in Florence, Italy. It's my #1, all star, go to sauce recipe for every pizza I make, and I think it tastes just like the sauce I have come to know and love on Neapolitan-style pizzas in Italy!

    Video

    To skip to directly to the 5-minute pizza sauce recipe, start the video at 3:35. However, if you want to learn how to make a simple overnight dough as well as the easy pizza sauce, watch the entire video.

    Instructions

    So, how do you make pizza sauce? This sauce could not be EASIER to make - no simmer, blending, or pureeing needed. All you need is clean hands!

    • Smush whole San Marzano tomatoes into small pieces - I love that it's so easy to find imported San Marzano tomatoes here in the US. This is the kind of canned tomato used to make pizza sauce in Italy, and it's prized for its sweet flavor profile and low acidity. This tomato tastes so good on its own that the less you add to it, the better! In the class I took, we were intructed to smush the tomatoes into small pieces by hand. Crusing by hand instead of in a blender prevents the tomato seeds from being broken open. When the seeds are broken, it can impart a bitter taste into your sauce, so keeping the seeds whole ensures your sauce will have a smooth, slightly sweet flavor.
    • Stir in the seasonings - once the tomatoes are crushed, you will stir in the seasonings. Fresh basil, salt, pepper, and a good-quality olive oil are all you need! The purposed of these ingredients is to enhance the flavor of the tomaotes, not cover it up. The San Marzano tomatoes are so delicious already! If you are making this in the winter and don't have fresh basil, ½ a teaspoon of dried basil or Italian seasoning blend will be fine.
    • Use the sauce on pizza - once you stir in the seasonings, the sauce is ready to use on pizza! You will only need about ⅓ cup of sauce per 10-12'' pizza. In Italy, they will teach you to avoid over-topping the pizza to prevent it from becoming soggy.
    A hand squeezing a whole tomato into a white bowl to demonstrate making pizza sauce.

    How to use

    In addition to using this sauce on pizza, I love to use it in this easy Cauliflower Parmesan, Pizza Baked Gnocchi, and as a dip for cheesy bread, calzones, or stromboli!

    If you love pizza as much as I do and need some inspiration, check out some of my favorite pizzas recipes below!

    • Salad Pizza with Strawberries and Spring Veggies
    • Kale, Bacon and Butternut Pizza with Hot Honey Drizzle
    • BLT Naan Pizza
    • Roasted Grape and Chicken Sausage Pizza
    • Host a Make Your Own Pizza Party
    • BBQ Chicken Peach Pizza
    An overhead shot of a bowl of pizza sauce with fresh chopped basil, seasonings, and oil on the surface.

    How to store

    This pizza sauce recipe makes a total of 4 cups, so I like to freeze it in ½ cup servings in small meal prep containers or in the wells of a muffin tin. If you go the muffin tin route, line the wells of the tin in wax paper so you can pop the disks of sauce out once they are frozen and just place them in layers in a freezer-safe container. Freeze up to 6 months, and thaw the amount you need in the fridge the night before you'd like to use the sauce.

    Small containers filled with pizza sauce ready to freeze for later.

    Are you ready to try this 5-Minute Pizza Sauce? I’m so excited for you to try this recipe. Once you get the chance to make it, please let me know how it turns out for you!

    I’d also love to feature your creation in my weekly newsletter, so you can upload a photo to Instagram with the tag @sweetcayenne5 to be featured! Quick and easy recipe videos are available on my YouTube channel, and lots of menu inspiration on my Pinterest boards.

    Similar recipes

    • Small Batch Sweet Cherry Jam
    • 15+ Amazing Homemade Sauces and Condiments
    • Small Batch Strawberry Jam
    • Simple Honey Mustard Dressing

    Recipe

    An overhead shot of a white bowl with tomato pizza sauce and can of San Marzano tomatoes on the side.

    5-Minute Pizza Sauce

    Learn to make this authentic 5-minute pizza sauce just the way they do in ITALY - easy, fast, and SO fresh!
    Tried this recipe?Mention @sweetcayenne5 or tag #sweetcayenne!
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 0 minutes
    Total Time: 5 minutes
    Servings: 4 cups

    Ingredients

    • 1 (32 ounce) can whole San Marzano tomatoes
    • ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, packed
    • ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
    • ¼ teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
    • 2 tablespoons good quality extra virgin olive oil (I like California Olive Ranch or a single-olive, single-origin Italian variety like Pruneti Frantoio)

    Instructions

    • Place the tomatoes and their juices into a large bowl. Wash your hands, then use your fingers to smush the tomatoes into the juices. Smush them into small, 1'' pieces.
    • Wash the basil and cut the leaves chiffonade style into thin strips.
    • Stir the basil, salt, pepper, and olive oil into the prepare tomatoes.
    • Use the sauce right away on pizzas, or freeze in small containers or the wells of a muffin tin to use for up to 6 months.
      Thaw frozen sauce in the refrigerator the night before you plan to use it.
    Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 56kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Sodium: 210mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g

    Don't miss these recipes!

    • Strawberry Lavender Syrup
    • Classic Red Enchilada Sauce
    • Hot Honey Drizzle
    • Easy Boiled Apple Cider Syrup

    Want more?

    Sign up for my weekly newsletter and get exclusive content (like menus, cooking downloads, and more!), blog recaps, and a chance to connect or be featured!

    Affiliate Disclosure

    Many of the links in my posts are affiliate links, which means I can get a small commission for any click or purchases made through the links. I am also an Amazon Associate and I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. ilFornino New York says

      January 04, 2022 at 3:36 am

      I like the recipe.  It seems to be very simple and unique. It also appears to be a time saver. I give it a shot and tell you my experience on how it goes. Thank you for your sharing!5 stars

      Reply
      • Whitney Reist says

        January 19, 2022 at 10:54 am

        Awesome - thank you!

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hello there!

    I'm Whitney, the chef, photographer, dietitian, and blogger-extraordinaire behind Sweet Cayenne. Welcome to my online kitchen!

    About Whitney & Sweet Cayenne

    What's In Season

    • St. Patrick's Day Grazing Board
    • Easy Potato Leek Soup
    • Small Batch Strawberry Jam
    • Fresh Strawberry Balsamic Pie
    • Strawberry Pretzel Chicken Wraps
    • Simple Strawberry Buttermilk Cake

    Free cookbook and menu planners!

    Subscribe to my weekly newsletter & receive a free e-cookbook of my 25 best recipes along with menu planning sheets!

    Privacy Policy

    The Latest & Greatest:

    A wire rack with a sheet of parchment paper on top and cinnamon biscuits.

    Cinnamon Biscuits with Vanilla Icing (Bojangles Copycat)

    A white bowl filled with pizza pasta salad garnished with fresh basil leaves.

    Pepperoni Pizza Pasta Salad

    A pink bowl on a cutting board filled with sweet potato lentil curry and rice.

    Sweet Potato Lentil Curry with Coconut and Spinach

    A St. Patrick's day themed snack board with corned beef, sauerkraut, soda bread, and other charcuterie items.

    St. Patrick's Day Grazing Board

    A white bowl of potato leek soup topped with croutons, bacon, cheese, and scallions.

    Easy Potato Leek Soup

    Square-red-velvet-cheesecake-bars

    Red Velvet Cheesecake Bars

    Travel Here Next:

    • Nashville Finds: Lemon Laine Oil Bar
    • Positano, Italy: Budget-Friendly Travel Guide
    • The Best Tuscan Road Trip Itinerary + Tips on Driving in Italy
    • A Foodie's Guide to Emilia-Romagna, Italy

    Cooking Guides

    • Cookbook Club: Super Simple Cookbook Review
    • Sweet Cayenne Cookbook Club | Tips for Planning and Hosting
    • 5 Ways to Become a Better Cook
    • Facts About Food: Where to Go for Answers & Guidance

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Photography Services

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 SweetCayenne