Roasted Tomato Pizza Sauce

Worth cooking

• It’s simple. With only six ingredients, you can create the best pizza sauce you’ve ever had for pizza night. The best part is that you likely already have the seasonings and olive oil needed for the recipe! However, we suggest you purchase fresh tomatoes for this recipe or use some from your garden.
• It’s healthy. This recipe is made with fresh, whole ingredients. Say goodbye to eating jarred pizza sauce with tons of preservatives and additives!
• It’s authentic. Starting with a high-quality crust and sauce is essential to making an excellent pizza. When you make the sauce from scratch, you can truly appreciate the difference in its taste and quality. The flavor and texture are unbeatable and will likely remind you of enjoying food from a pizzeria.

Ingredients Needed

This recipe has a short ingredient list. You can check out the entire detailed list in the recipe card below. But here are its ingredients and some notes about them:

• Roma Tomatoes: These tomatoes are a top-tier choice since they have less water content than other tomato varieties. This ensures that your sauce won’t turn out too watery. Additionally, they have a pleasant flavor profile with the right level of acidity and sweetness.
• Italian Seasoning: This seasoning blend plays a huge role in giving the pizza sauce its distinctive flavor. If you don’t have Italian seasoning, you can make it by combining dried basil, oregano, rosemary, and thyme.
• Olive Oil: This oil further enhances the tomatoes’ taste when roasting, giving you rich juices for the sauce.
• Garlic Powder: Tomatoes and garlic are a dynamic duo. The savory qualities of the garlic help to balance the sweet and acidic undertones in the sauce. You could use garlic cloves, too, but we find garlic powder to be quicker.

How it comes together

1. Preheat the oven.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Rinse, pat dry, and chop the tomatoes.
4. Place tomatoes on the baking sheet, sprinkle with salt, and drizzle with oil.
5. Roast tomatoes.
6. Blend roasted tomatoes with remaining seasonings until smooth.
7. Use the sauce immediately or store it for later use.

Blended roasted tomato pizza sauce

Pantry notes

• Parmesan: If you plan on using the sauce immediately, you can gently fold in some grated parmesan cheese after blending it. Although it makes the texture less smooth, it provides a pleasant cheesy flavor. This is the perfect trick for people who love to garnish their pizza with tons of parmesan!
• Spices: Give the pizza sauce a fiery kick by adding red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, or smoked paprika to the sauce. Make sure to hold off from adding it to the tomatoes when you roast them. Instead, add it with the other seasonings when it is time to blend the tomatoes into a paste.
• Cherry Tomatoes: If you prefer your sauce to be on the sweeter side, you can make a cherry tomato pizza sauce instead. Remember that cherry tomatoes are much smaller and will roast quickly, so be sure to keep an eye on them when they are in the oven.
• Fresh Herbs: You can use fresh basil and oregano as a substitute for Italian seasoning. Keep in mind that dried herbs have a stronger flavor than fresh ones, so you’ll need to use a higher measurement of fresh herbs. Before blending, chop the herbs into small pieces. After blending, taste the sauce and add more herbs if needed.
• Red Peppers: Add some red bell peppers before roasting the tomatoes for a different flavor profile.

Want to learn how to make pizza dough? Check out our homemade pizza.

Cook notes

• Roasted tomato pizza sauce for canning: It is possible to can your homemade pizza sauce to further extend its shelf life. This is a suitable homemade pizza sauce recipe since it doesn’t contain dairy. However, there are specific guidelines you need to follow when canning these types of recipes, such as adding a small amount of lemon juice to each jar. You need a certain amount of acidity to safely can the sauce. Check out this guide for more details!
• If you want your pizza sauce to have a chunkier texture, you can blend it for less time. Just ensure all the seasonings are thoroughly distributed throughout the mixture before using it.
• Since this pizza sauce holds up well in the freezer, you can make a double batch of it and freeze half of it for later use. It is important to store it in an airtight container to maintain its freshness and prevent freezer burn.

• Yield: 8 servings
• Prep: 5 minutes
• Cook: 27 minutes
• Total: 32 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 pounds roma tomatoes, medium-sized
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400℉. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Rinse the tomatoes and pat dry. Cut them into quarters and place on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle on the salt and drizzle on the olive oil. Place in the preheated oven to roast for 30 minutes.
3. Add the roasted tomatoes to a blender, then add the Italian seasoning and garlic powder. Blend into a smooth paste.
4. Use the sauce immediately on pizza or store it in a jar with a tight-fitting lid for up to 1 week. Freeze for up to 3 months.