• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Sweet Cayenne
  • ABOUT
    • Work With Me
  • 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

    • A jar of cherry jam surrounded by a background of cherries.
      Small Batch Sweet Cherry Jam
    • A spoon dipping into a glass bowl of honey mustard dressing.
      15+ Amazing Homemade Sauces and Condiments
    • A jar of strawberry jam on top of a bed of fresh strawberries.
      Small Batch Strawberry Jam
    • A spoon dipping into a glass bowl of honey mustard dressing.
      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 minutes
    Cook Time: 0 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 5 minutes 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!

    • A jar of strawberry lavender syrup on a cutting board with lemons and strawberries on the side.
      Strawberry Lavender Syrup
    • Two mason jars filled with red enchilada sauce on a wooden cutting board.
      Classic Red Enchilada Sauce
    • A small crock with a handle filled with hot honey drizzle and a wooden scoop on the side.
      Hot Honey Drizzle
    • A jar of boiled apple cider syrup sitting on a wooden plate with a small spoon on the side.
      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

    • A white bowl filled with pizza pasta salad garnished with fresh basil leaves.
      Pepperoni Pizza Pasta Salad
    • A glass of jalapeño lemonade on a wooden tray.
      Fresh Jalapeño Lemonade
    • A white platter on a yellow towel with pork pineapple kabobs.
      Grilled Pork Adobo Kabobs
    • A tomato tart on parchment paper topped with basil sprigs and two slices of tart coming out on the side.
      Southern Tomato Tart
    • Sweet Tea Granita with Lemon Syrup
    • A brown-rimmed bowl with zucchini pasta salad and a spoon on the side.
      Summer Pasta Salad with Zucchini

    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!

    Summer Grilling:

    A white platter on a yellow towel with pork pineapple kabobs.

    Grilled Pork Adobo Kabobs

    A grilled steak sandwich with peaches on a pink rimmed plate.

    Balsamic Flat Iron Steak Sandwich

    Two bowls with foil packs of grilled shrimp, corn, and potatoes.

    Grilled Shrimp Boil Foil Packs

    Grilled sausage, corn, and zucchini kabobs on a bamboo cutting board.

    Grilled Sausage, Zucchini and Corn Kabobs

    These easy Peach BBQ Chicken Kabobs have been one of my favorite meals this summer - they are easy to marinate in Rubbermaid Brilliance containers!

    Easy One-Dish Peach BBQ Chicken Kabobs

    Hamburger on a plate with an ear of corn as a side.

    The Secret Ingredient for the BEST Homemade Burgers

    Travel Here Next:

    • The product wall of skincare items at Lemon Laine Oil Bar in Nashville, TN.
      Nashville Finds: Lemon Laine Oil Bar
    • A girl standing on a beach in Positano, Italy.
      Positano, Italy: Budget-Friendly Travel Guide
    • A photo of Civita di Bagnoregio in Italy
      The Best Tuscan Road Trip Itinerary + Tips on Driving in Italy
    • A traveling foodie's guide to the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy - including what to taste in Parma, Modena, and Bologna! European travel guide and itinerary.
      A Foodie's Guide to Emilia-Romagna, Italy

    Cooking Guides

    • Three chicken tacos with mango salsa on a wood cutting board.
      Cookbook Club: Super Simple Cookbook Review
    • A collage of girls holding dishes they have made for a cookbook club
      Sweet Cayenne Cookbook Club | Tips for Planning and Hosting
    • A brunette woman reading a cookbook at a white marble counter with a mixing bowl on top.
      5 Ways to Become a Better Cook
    • An overhead shot of a gray bowl with fresh cranberries, two apples and sprigs of thyme on the side.
      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