Quick “No-Cook” Pizza Sauce

This easy, 3 ingredient “no-cook” pizza sauce recipe tastes so light and fresh, you’ll never buy store-bought pizza sauce again! Use it to top my sourdough pizza or any pizza crust you’d like. It takes 1 minute to make!

If you told me “no-cook” pizza sauce was THE BEST sauce for pizza, especially sourdough pizza (i.e. 100% authentic, full of flavor and approved by Italians especially in Naples!) I honestly wouldn’t believe you. Why? Because it sounds weird. Don’t you need to cook it first?

Turns out, you don’t need to cook pizza sauce at all. According to excellent resources including The Pizza Bible, Mastering Pizza and The Elements of Pizza most pizza sauce recipes are “no-cook” for this reason: the sauce cooks in the oven while the pizza bakes. For reference, if the sauce was cooked ahead of time, and then cooked again in a hot oven, the texture might over-reduce and you’ll end up with tomato paste, not sauce, due to the high intense baking heat. Of course there are exceptions to the rule, but you get the gist.

Also interesting to note: true, authentic pizza sauce does not require a laundry list of ingredients either, like garlic powder, onion powder or even red pepper flakes to make it “pizza-style” (add these ingredients on top of your pizza if you want for extra flavor). Pizza sauce should be simple, a blank canvas if you will, ready and willing to accept a variety of toppings and cheese.

In this post, I’ll teach you how to make a quick, 3-ingredient no-cook pizza sauce embraced by pizzerias everywhere- even Italy. Use it to top my homemade sourdough pizza or any pizza crust recipe you’d like. The taste is light, delicate and fresh. You’ll love it. My whole family loves it. Best part? It takes 1 minute to make!

Pizza Sauce Ingredients

• Whole-peeled canned San Marzano Tomatoes
• Fine Sea Salt
• Fresh Basil

Tomatoes: I prefer canned tomatoes over fresh tomatoes for no-cook pizza sauce. Fresh tomatoes are too watery for this, unless they’ve been previously cooked down into sauce, but only briefly. My authentic pomodoro sauce is a perfect example.

Now, since tomatoes are the star of show, take care and choose the best quality you can afford. Otherwise, your sauce will taste too tart and acidic. You’ll read everywhere that canned San Marzano plum tomatoes are the best tomatoes for pizza sauce and tomato sauce because they are rich, dense and sweet. I find this to be true. But taste and quality varies from brand to brand. Experiment as you see fit. My favorite everyday brands include: Cento, Mutti (featured here in this post) La Valle and Jovial (this brand comes in glass jars, not tin cans, and you can taste the difference).

Salt: This is a key ingredient for seasoning. Canned tomatoes vary in saltiness, so you’ll need to taste and adjust as you go.

Fresh Basil: A few torn leaves will do. This ingredient is very seasonal, but the flavor is perfect with tomatoes. Use it when applicable. I do not blend the basil with the sauce; the leaves are hand-torn and mixed in later.

What About the Olive Oil? I love good-quality extra virgin olive oil just as much as you do. But I don’t blend it into my pizza sauce. I prefer to drizzle it over the sauce, right before adding the mozzarella cheese. To me, the flavor is more preserved this way.

How to Make it

To make no-cook pizza sauce: add the canned tomatoes and a pinch of salt to a blender or food processor. Pulse a few times, about 10 seconds, for a slightly chunky texture. Pour into a small mixing bowl, tear in a few basil leaves and stir to combine. Cover with plastic wrap (or transfer to a small jar) and leave at room temperature for up to 1 hour. For smooth pizza sauce, process longer and strain a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds.

Can You Freeze No-Cook Pizza Sauce?

Sure can. Portion any leftover sauce into a small airtight container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight. Alternatively, don’t freeze the sauce at all. Make this Sicilian-style tomato sauce (also good for pizza sauce, fyi) and my pomodoro sauce and serve with fresh pasta.