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An easy small batch pizza sauce recipe that can be ready in minutes. This thick rich sauce is the perfect amount to use when making one small pizza or as a dipping sauce.
This quick and easy pizza sauce from scratch is perfect to use on your homemade pizza or as a dipping sauce for a small batch of Chicken Parmesan Tenders or bite-sized Smashed Potatoes. It tastes so good and is so easy to make you may never purchase another jar of ready-made sauce again. The sauce is vegan, gluten-free, and made without preservatives or huge amounts of salt and sugar.
Our small batch pizza sauce is perfectly seasoned and makes the perfect amount for 1 pizza.
Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
- So much better than store brands of pizza sauce: You just can’t beat the fresh flavors in homemade pizza sauce, the store-bought jars just can’t compare. Our small batch sauce is made with pantry staples and is so incredibly flavorful.
- Cooks quickly: The sauce simmers on the stove for about 15 minutes which allows the flavors to really come together beautifully.
- Doubles well: This small batch pizza sauce recipe yields 1/2 cup of the best pizza sauce you’ve likely ever tasted. If you’d like to make a little extra, just double the ingredient amounts.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
See below for ways to use leftover ingredients.
- Olive oil: I use extra virgin olive oil in this pizza sauce recipe as well as in every other recipe on One Dish Kitchen that calls for olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil is the least processed form of olive oil. It is an unrefined oil and the highest-quality olive oil you can buy. Because of the way extra virgin olive oil is made, it retains a more true olive taste. It also contains more of the vitamins and minerals found in olives. It’s my favorite type of olive oil to use but you may use a lighter olive oil instead.
- Garlic: Since I love bits of fresh garlic in my sauce, I use 1 clove of garlic and simmer the sauce on the stove. You can actually make pizza sauce in 5 minutes by using 1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder instead. There is no need to simmer the sauce if you’re using garlic powder. Just combine the ingredients in a bowl and whisk them together.
- Canned tomatoes: Use canned crushed tomatoes. You can also use whole, peeled canned tomatoes. Pulse them briefly in a food processor or a blender to smooth out the texture.
- Tomato paste: Tomato paste is simply concentrated tomatoes. A small amount adds a tremendous amount of flavor. Look for tomato paste that comes in a tube. You can find it in the same section of your grocery store where cans are found. A tube stays good in the refrigerator for much longer than canned. You can also freeze the leftover paste in ice cube trays. When frozen, pop the cubes out of the tray and store them in a zip-top bag in the freezer.
- Sugar: A small amount of sugar cuts the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Seasonings: Use dried basil and salt for flavor.
How To Make Pizza Sauce
See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Heat olive oil in a 1-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook, stirring frequently for 30 seconds.
- Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, dried basil, and salt. Stir to combine.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Pro Tip: If I’m using this sauce for homemade pizza, I prepare the pizza dough while the sauce simmers.
- This recipe yields about 1/2 cup of pizza sauce.
Once the sauce is finished, use it to make homemade pizza! This easy homemade pizza dough recipe is my go-to.
Expert Tips
- Customize your sauce. Although I love this homemade pizza sauce recipe just as it is, consider adding a pinch of red pepper flakes when sautéeing the garlic for a little bit of heat. You may also like to stir in a few tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan cheese to the sauce before using.
- For a chunkier sauce, use canned diced tomatoes instead of crushed tomatoes.
- For a no-cook pizza sauce, use 1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder instead of fresh garlic. In a bowl, combine the garlic powder with the other ingredients and stir to blend.
Frequently Asked Questions
Pizza sauce and pasta or spaghetti sauce are similar but are not the same. Pizza sauce is made with few ingredients while pasta sauce can contain vegetables like onions and carrots, cheese, and other ingredients. Pizza sauce is typically thicker than pasta sauce and doesn’t need to cook as long as pasta sauce does.
The thickness of pizza sauce makes it a much better choice for topping pizza.
If your crushed tomatoes are a little thin, you can add a little extra tomato paste to the sauce. You can also simmer the sauce for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until it has reduced further.
Yes, this is a vegan pizza sauce recipe. It is also vegetarian, dairy-free, and gluten-free.
How To Serve Homemade Pizza Sauce
This sauce is perfect for many different dishes. Here are a few to consider:
- Spread homemade pizza sauce on a Detroit Style Pizza, a French Bread Pizza, or use it to make your own personal pizza with our small pizza dough recipe.
- Use this pizza sauce in Pizza Monkey Bread or in a Pizza Bowl.
- Serve pizza sauce as a dip for French Bread or Chicken Tenders.
How To Store
Refrigerate leftover pizza sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Other Small Batch Homemade Sauces
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this small batch pizza sauce recipe, you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
- Canned tomatoes: Tomato Soup, Penne alla Vodka, Creamy Tomato Soup, Meat Sauce
- Garlic: Split Pea Soup, Tzatziki Sauce, Chicken Tortellini Soup, Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Tomato paste: Coq au Vin, Mushroom Pasta, Chili Mac, Chicken Tagine
- Dried basil: Eggplant Parmesan, Salmon Rice Bowl, Slow Cooker Italian Chicken, Spinach and Orzo Salad
For more information on the cooking and baking dishes I use in our “recipes for one”, please visit our FAQ page.
For examples of the dishes used at One Dish Kitchen, please visit our Store page.
If you’ve tried this small batch pizza sauce or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
Also, if you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!
Recipe
Small Batch Pizza Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 1 clove garlic , minced
- ½ cup canned crushed tomatoes (4-ounces)
- 1 teaspoon tomato paste
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a 1-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook, stirring frequently for 30 seconds.
- Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, dried basil, and salt. Stir to combine.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Once the sauce is finished, use it to make homemade pizza! This easy homemade pizza dough recipe is my go-to.
Notes
- Customize your sauce. Although I love this homemade pizza sauce recipe just as it is, consider adding a pinch of red pepper flakes when sautéeing the garlic for a little bit of heat. You may also like to stir in a few tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan cheese to the sauce before using.
- For a chunkier sauce, use canned diced tomatoes instead of crushed tomatoes.
- For a no-cook sauce, use ⅛ teaspoon of garlic powder instead of fresh garlic. In a bowl, combine the garlic powder with the other ingredients and stir to blend.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
I tried this recipe it tasted great I substituted tomato sauce instead of using the crushed tomatoes it was great.
Thank you so much for your feedback. I’m so happy you enjoyed the pizza sauce.
The pizza and sauce recipes are exactly what I was looking for!!!!! Can’t wait to try them! Love your website. Keep it up!!!!!
I am already in love with your website and I have only been cruising through the main dishes! I had to move by myself to Phoenix, AZ about 9 months ago. In the good old days I had a family of 5 to cook for so of course the pots were big and I always hoped for leftovers. Unfortunately I lost several members of my family and my kids grew up and now have families of their own. Just before Covid hit I did personal cookbooks for each of my kids their spouses and the grandkids. I collected a ton of recipes but they all usually require a lot of cooking and lots of portions. I can’t wait to try nearly everything I have seen so far here, and will most likely be hiding out here for a long time…Thanks so much, Grandma Linda
Great recipe.