How to Make Pizza Sauce

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: January 5, 2024 Tested

Making your own pizza sauce is a super easy way to make your pizza taste even better. Sauce up your pizza night with a homemade red sauce, try out a yummy white sauce, or opt for a healthy pesto sauce. By gathering the ingredients and following a simple recipe, you'll be enjoying great pizza in no time.

Ingredients

Red Sauce

Makes 2.5 c (590 ml) of sauce

Tomato sauce (15 oz (430 g) can)
Tomato paste (6 oz (170 g) can)
1 US tbsp (15 ml) Italian seasoning
0.5 tsp (2.5 ml) garlic powder
1 tsp (4.9 ml) dried oregano
0.125 tsp (0.62 ml) crushed red pepper flakes
Sugar
Black pepper

White Sauce

Makes enough sauce for 2 standard 8 inches (20 cm) pizzas

2 tablespoons (30 ml) butter
1 US tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
0.25 c (59 ml) onion (finely chopped)
1 large clove of garlic
3 US tbsp (44 ml) all-purpose flour
1 c (240 ml) milk
0.5 c (120 ml) Parmesan cheese (grated)
2 US tbsp (30 ml) fresh basil (minced)
0.25 tsp (1.2 ml) salt
0.125 tsp (0.62 ml) ground black pepper

Pesto Sauce

Makes 1.5 c (350 ml) of sauce

0.67 c (160 ml) walnuts or pine nuts (toasted lightly)
6 c (1,400 ml) fresh basil leaves
3 garlic cloves (chopped)
Sea salt and ground pepper
0.5 c (120 ml) extra virgin olive oil
0.5 c (120 ml) Parmesan cheese (grated)

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Red Sauce

Pour a 15 oz (430 g) can of tomato sauce and a 6 oz (170 g) can of tomato paste into a medium-size bowl. Use a large spoon to mix the two ingredients together thoroughly. ^{[1]
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2
Add the seasonings to the mixture. Pour 1 US tbsp (15 ml) of Italian seasoning, 0.5 tsp (2.5 ml) of garlic powder, 1 tsp (4.9 ml) of dried oregano, and 0.125 tsp (0.62 ml) of crushed red pepper flakes into the tomato sauce and tomato paste mixture. Add a pinch of sugar and black pepper to taste, as well. ^{[2]
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- If there are other spices you'd like to add to your tomato sauce, such as basil or onion powder, feel free to add these now too.
- Start with a small amount of additional spice, testing the sauce to see if you like the flavor before adding more.
Use a large spoon to mix all of the ingredients together, moving the spoon in circular motions until all of the spices are well dispersed. ^{[3]
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4
Spread the sauce on pizza dough if you're using it immediately. If you're making the pizza sauce to go directly on the pizza, use a spoon to spread the sauce over the dough. Apply an even layer, spreading it up to the edges of the pizza. ^{[4]
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- If you want a thicker crust, leave roughly 1 in (2.5 cm) of space around the dough's edge when spreading the sauce.
5
Keep the sauce in the fridge or freezer to store it. Place the sauce in a sealed container, such as a piece of Tupperware. Store the pizza sauce in the fridge for up to 1 week, or place the sauce in the freezer to store it for up to 3 months. ^{[5]
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- If you do freeze the sauce, place it in the fridge the night before you intend to use it. You can also heat it in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time right before using it to melt the frozen sauce.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

White Sauce

1
Heat butter and olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Measure out 2 US tbsp (30 ml) of butter and 1 US tbsp (15 ml) of olive oil in a small or medium-size saucepan. Spread it around so that the butter begins melting and coating the bottom of the pan. ^{[6]
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- If you do not have olive oil, canola oil or vegetable oil will work as substitutions.
2
Add the onion and garlic to the pan, cooking them for roughly 1 minute. Pour 0.25 c (59 ml) of onion and 1 chopped up clove of garlic into the butter and olive oil. Let the ingredients cook as you stir slowly. After about a minute, the onion and garlic should be soft and fragrant. ^{[7]
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- A large clove of garlic is best.
- Stir using a wooden or silicone spoon.
3
Whisk flour into the mixture until it's lightly browned and the onion is translucent. Add 3 US tbsp (44 ml) of all-purpose flour to the saucepan, whisking it gently as it cooks. After roughly 2-3 minutes of the flour cooking, the flour will darken and the onion should be translucent. ^{[8]
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- The heat setting should still be at medium.
4
Pour the remaining ingredients into the saucepan. This includes 1 c (240 ml) of milk, 0.5 c (120 ml) of grated Parmesan cheese, 2 US tbsp (30 ml) of minced fresh basil, 0.25 tsp (1.2 ml) of salt, and 0.125 tsp (0.62 ml) of ground black pepper. Stir them using a large wooden spoon so that they begin to mix. ^{[9]
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- Feel free to add more or less salt and pepper, depending on your preferences.
Continue stirring with the spoon or a whisk continuously until the cheese melts. When the sauce is thick, it will turn from watery to dense, dripping from a spoon more slowly. ^{[10]
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6
Turn off the stove and remove the pan from the heat. Let the sauce cool for 5-10 minutes, either in the pan or by transferring it to a bowl. Once it's cool, you can add it to the pizza dough using a spoon or store it. ^{[11]
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- If you're going to store it right in the fridge or freezer after cooking it, it's best to let it come to room temperature first.
7
Add the sauce to the pizza dough, or store it to use later. If you're cooking the pizza immediately, use a spoon to spread the sauce in an even layer over the pizza dough. If you're not making the pizza immediately, the white sauce will last in the fridge for several days. ^{[12]
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- Store the sauce in a sealable container.
- Consider freezing the sauce in the freezer for 2-3 months.
- To thaw the sauce, place it in the fridge overnight, or heat up the sauce in 30-second increments for immediate use.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Pesto Sauce

1
Prepare an ice bath using a large mixing bowl or sink. Fill the bowl or sink with fresh ice and water so that it's nice and cold. The ice bath will be used for soaking the basil leaves temporarily, so make sure the bowl is big enough to contain the leaves. ^{[13]
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- If you're using the kitchen sink, clean it out first with soap and water.
Turn the stove on high so the water boils quickly, and add 1 US tbsp (15 ml) of salt. Stir the salt into the water using a wooden spoon. ^{[14]
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3
Place the basil in boiling water and immediately transfer it to the ice bath. Drop 6 c (1,400 ml) of basil in the boiling water, sprinkling it into the pot using your hands or a measuring cup. Make sure the basil is completely submerged, and then use tongs or a hand strainer to move the leaves to the ice bath. Use tongs to take the leaves out of the ice bath after just a few seconds. ^{[15]
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- The process of moving something from boiling water quickly to an ice bath is called blanching, allowing you to cook the food quickly and then transfer it to cold water to prevent it from cooking more.
- A hand strainer is a piece of mesh that will easily drain the water while leaving the basil leaves in the strainer.
Be gentle as you're drying the leaves, placing them on a paper towel and then using another paper towel to blot them dry. Once all of the basil leaves are dry, they're ready to go into the food processor. ^{[16]
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5
Blend the nuts, basil, and garlic in a food processor. Along with the basil leaves, add 0.67 c (160 ml) of walnuts or pine nuts and 3 chopped cloves of garlic. Mix them in the food processor until the ingredients are all combined. ^{[17]
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- If you don't have a food processor, a regular blender can work too.
Do this slowly so that the olive oil is added to the mixture in small increments and not all at once. Continue mixing the ingredients until they have a smooth consistency. ^{[18]
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7
Add salt and pepper to the sauce for additional flavor. Turn off the food processor and sprinkle in as much salt and pepper as you would like. Stir it into the pesto with a spoon so that the seasoning is well-distributed. ^{[19]
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- Once all of the ingredients are well-combined, your pesto is all done!
8
Use the pesto immediately or freeze it for later. If you're putting the pesto on your pizza dough immediately, stir in 0.5 c (120 ml) of freshly grated Parmesan cheese before spreading it on the dough. If you'd rather save your sauce for later, put it in a sealable container and place it in the freezer for up to 3 months. ^{[20]
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- Add a fine layer of ricotta or mozzarella to the pesto pizza to complete the taste.
- You can also store the pesto in the fridge for 1-2 days, if desired.
- To thaw the pesto sauce, take it out of the freezer and let it sit on the counter for roughly 30 minutes. You can stir in the grated cheese once you're ready to spread it on the pizza dough.
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How do I make pizza dough?

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https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Pizza-Dough

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Can I use refined oil instead of olive oil?

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Yes, you can.

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Could I use 3 tablespoons of basil-infused oil instead?

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No. It will change the consistency.

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Video

Things You'll Need

Red Sauce

Medium-size bowl
Wooden spoon
Measuring cups and spoons
Sealable container (optional)

White Sauce

Saucepan
Wooden spoon
Whisk
Measuring cups and spoons
Sealable container (optional)

Pesto Sauce

Large mixing bowl
Pot
Paper towels
Food processor or blender
Spoon
Measuring cups
Sealable container (optional)

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How to Make Pizza Sauce

Ingredients

Red Sauce

White Sauce

Pesto Sauce

Steps

Red Sauce

White Sauce

Pesto Sauce

Community Q&A

Video

Things You'll Need

Red Sauce

White Sauce

Pesto Sauce

You Might Also Like

References

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