We like to make a large batch of pizza sauce at once. Storing the pizza sauce in plastic baggies (about a cup’s worth of sauce per baggie) and freezing them is a great time-saver. There are many different ways to make basic red pizza sauce, here is my favorite. I strongly suggest you use San Marzano tomatoes, for the extra few dollars per tin, the upgrade in flavor is well worth it.
Red Pizza Sauce Ingredients
- 2 28 ounce tins of whole plum tomatoes (San Marzano preferably)
- 1 Small onion
- 4 Cloves of garlic
- 3 Tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- ½ Tablespoon of dried oregano
- ½ Tablespoon of dried thyme
- 1 Cup of chicken stock or white wine or red wine
- 2 Tablespoons of sherry vinegar
- Fresh Basil and/or Fresh Oregano (optional)
- Salt to taste
Red pizza sauce step-by-step
- Preheat a large sauce pan or dutch-oven on medium-high.
- Pour the contents of the tomato tins into a large bowl.
- Using your hands (time to roll up your sleeves) crush the tomatoes as finely as possible.
- Peel an onion and remove the top and bottom.
- Peel the garlic. Puree both in a blender.
- Add olive oil to sauce pan until shimmering.
- Pour onion/garlic mixture into pan.
- Sauté until mixture just starts to turn golden (about 3 minutes).
- Add the dried herbs and pepper flakes and cook for one more minute.
- Deglaze the pan with either the chicken stock or wine and let reduce by half.
- Add the sherry vinegar (it really makes the flavors come alive) and carefully pour in
the tomatoes. - If you have fresh basil or oregano, take a few fronds or stems and place them in the sauce.
- Bring to a boil, and then simmer for 15 minutes.
- Remove the fresh basil or oregano.
- Salt to taste.
That’s it…you’re done! Let cool before using on pizza or storing for future use.