Step 1

See notes for 5 minute no cook instructions.

Step 2

Prep all your ingredients first so they are ready to go. Chop 1/3 cup onions, smash and mince 3 cloves of garlic. Open the can of tomato paste (or use this tomato paste in a tube, which is super handy for when you don't need a full can). Open the can of whole tomatoes.**

Step 3

In a small bowl, add all the spices: 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 and 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, and 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper if you like (this adds flavor not heat).

Step 4

Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. When it's very hot, add 2 tablespoons olive oil and swirl to coat.

Step 5

Add 1/3 cup chopped onions and saute for 3-4 minutes until they are starting to brown. (If you are not using onions, start with heating the garlic for 1 minute, making sure it does not brown. If I'm omitting fresh onions, I like to add 1 teaspoon minced dried onions).

Step 6

Add 1 tablespoon minced garlic and all the spices you prepped in step Saute and stir for 1 minute until the garlic and spices are fragrant.

Step 7

Add 3 tablespoons tomato paste. Stir it into the garlic and spread it out a bit in the pan, so that it heats it through. This helps bring out that beautiful tomato-y flavor!

Step 8

Add the 28 ounce can of whole tomatoes. Break up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon as much as you can. Bring to a simmer over medium or medium low (so that there are slow bubbles coming up but nothing too wild). Let simmer for about 5 to 30 minutes. How long you simmer is really up to you. The longer you simmer, the more time the flavors have to meld together.

Step 9

Add sugar if necessary. Just as every tomato is different, every can of tomatoes is going to have a different level of acidity. Sometimes sugar is completely unnecessary (like if you use fancy Italian tomatoes). Give your sauce a taste and decide if the acidity is biting back a little too much. If so, start with a 1/2 teaspoon sugar, moving up to 1 teaspoon if you want. Use your best judgment to get the balance just right.

Step 10

Blend the sauce. (Blending is unnecessary if you like a chunky sauce! If it looks good to you, you're done! I usually skip it) Turn off the heat and use an immersion blender to puree the sauce. If you do not have an immersion blender (why, why??) then let it cool for a couple minutes before transferring to a blender. You will probably have to do it in two batches. Do not fill the blender to the fill line; add less than you think. The sauce is very hot and will expand when blended, which could overflow your blender and splatter you. Take off the little spout on top of the blender and hold a towel over the top of the lid while blending. This will allow steam to escape and avoid any pizza sauce eruptions.

Step 11

Use the sauce for your favorite homemade pizza! This recipe makes about 4 cups of sauce, enough for about 4 medium pizzas. Here is the recipe for my Easy Pizza Dough, and here is my basic Homemade Pizza Recipe.

Step 12

Leftovers storage instructions: This sauce will keep in the fridge for 3-5 days. Keep in a sealed container.

Step 13

Freezer instructions: Add cooled sauce to a labeled ziplock and freeze for up to 3 months. Let thaw in the fridge, or I've even used the defrost button on my microwave. You can also just throw it into a pot on low with a little bit of water and wait a while til it melts! It's very forgiving.