Classic red pizza sauce
New York-style red sauce is uncooked: just crush good canned tomatoes (San Marzano or a quality domestic brand) with salt, a pinch of sugar, olive oil, and dried oregano. Cooking it beforehand dulls the fresh flavor — it finishes cooking on the pizza.
For extra savory depth, try anchovies on pizza with a bright tomato sauce; their salty umami keeps the simple base from tasting flat.
White pizza sauce, vodka, and garlic sauces
White sauce pizza swaps tomato for a garlic-cream or ricotta base — perfect under clams or spinach. Vodka sauce brings a creamy, tangy tomato blend that's become a modern favorite. Garlic butter or oil makes a punchy base for a white pie.
White pizza sauce (garlic cream)
A simple garlic-cream white pizza sauce for one 12-inch pizza; it sets up under the cheese instead of running.
Ingredients
- •28g (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter
- •2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- •8g (1 tablespoon) all-purpose flour
- •120ml (1/2 cup) whole milk
- •30g (2 tablespoons) finely grated parmesan
- •Pinch of fine sea salt and black pepper
Method
- 1Melt the butter over medium-low heat and cook the garlic for 30 seconds, until fragrant but not browned.
- 2Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute.
- 3Add the milk a little at a time, whisking, then simmer 2 to 3 minutes until it coats a spoon.
- 4Off the heat, stir in the parmesan, salt and pepper. Cool for 5 minutes before spreading; it thickens as it cools.
Cooked versus uncooked sauce
The great pizza-sauce divide is whether to cook it. The New York and Neapolitan traditions favor an uncooked sauce: crushed high-quality tomatoes seasoned simply with salt, so the tomato flavor stays bright and the sauce finishes cooking on the pie. A cooked sauce, simmered with garlic and herbs, is deeper and sweeter and suits thicker, longer-baked styles like Sicilian and grandma pies.
Start with the right tomatoes
Sauce is mostly tomato, so the tomato matters more than any seasoning. San Marzano-style plum tomatoes are prized for their low acidity, meaty flesh, and balanced sweetness. Crush them by hand or pulse briefly - never puree to a smooth liquid, which whips in air and dulls the color. Drain off excess packing liquid to control moisture on the pie.
- Use whole peeled plum tomatoes; crush by hand for texture.
- Season with salt first; add sugar only if the tomatoes are sharp.
- Keep an uncooked sauce for thin styles, cooked for thick pan pies.
- Drain excess liquid so the sauce doesn't soak the crust.
Seasoning with restraint
A little goes a long way. Salt is non-negotiable; from there, a whisper of dried oregano, a clove of grated garlic, a pinch of sugar to balance acidity, and a drizzle of olive oil are usually all a great sauce needs. Overcomplicating the sauce muddies the flavor and competes with the cheese and toppings rather than supporting them.
How much sauce to use
Aim for a thin, even layer that leaves the crust visible at the rim - roughly a quarter to a third of a cup for a 12-inch pizza. Too much sauce steams the base and prevents crisping; too little leaves the pie dry. Spread it in a spiral from the center out with the back of a spoon or ladle, stopping about an inch from the edge.
Homemade pizza sauce: storing and making ahead
Pizza sauce keeps well, so it's worth making a batch. An uncooked crushed-tomato sauce lasts about five days in the fridge in an airtight container and freezes beautifully for up to three months - portion it into small containers or an ice-cube tray so you can thaw just what you need. Cooked sauces keep similarly. Having sauce ready in the freezer turns a spontaneous pizza night into a 20-minute affair.
Beyond red: white and specialty sauces
Not every pizza wants tomato. A white pizza uses olive oil and garlic or a béchamel base topped with cheeses and greens. Pesto makes a vibrant, herbaceous base; a garlic-cream sauce suits chicken and mushroom pies; and barbecue sauce anchors the popular BBQ chicken pizza. Matching the sauce to the toppings - and keeping it thin - opens up a whole range of pizzas beyond the classic red pie.
Matching sauce to pizza style
The right sauce depends on the pie. Thin, fast-baked styles like Neapolitan and New York shine with a simple uncooked crushed-tomato sauce that finishes cooking on the pizza and keeps its bright flavor. Thick, long-baked pan styles like Sicilian and deep dish stand up to a deeper cooked sauce with garlic and herbs. Whatever the style, keep the layer thin and leave the rim bare so the crust can crisp and brown properly.
Pizza sauce recipe (5-minute, no-cook)
This is the homemade pizza sauce recipe we use for New York and Neapolitan-style pies: crushed tomatoes, salt, a little oil, no cooking. If you have ever wondered how to make pizza sauce that tastes like a good pizzeria's, this is it. It takes five minutes and makes enough for four 12-inch pizzas.
Yield: Enough for two 12-inch pizzas
Ingredients
- •1 can (400g) quality whole peeled tomatoes
- •1 tbsp olive oil
- •1 tsp salt
- •1/2 tsp sugar
- •1/2 tsp dried oregano
- •1 small garlic clove, grated (optional)
Method
- 1Crush the tomatoes by hand or pulse briefly — keep some texture.
- 2Stir in olive oil, salt, sugar, oregano, and garlic.
- 3Taste and adjust; use straight away, no cooking needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you cook pizza sauce before putting it on pizza?
No — classic New York-style red sauce is uncooked. It finishes cooking on the pizza, keeping a fresh tomato flavor.
What is the best canned tomato for pizza sauce?
San Marzano DOP tomatoes are the classic choice, but many quality domestic canned tomatoes work well.
What is white sauce pizza?
White sauce pizza uses a garlic-cream or ricotta base instead of tomato, great under clams or spinach.
How long does homemade pizza sauce last?
No-cook pizza sauce keeps 4–5 days in the fridge or up to 3 months frozen.